Akatsuki, Yuhi, to Tsuki
by RayeWilliams
Summary: What Kaoru finds in a box on the side of the road turns into a secret between him, Mori, and Hunny. However, with Tamaki and Haruhi getting serious and Hikaru's blood boiling with envy, other secrets are unlikely to be kept. Yaoi later in story. HikaKao.
1. The Walk

WOO. Okay, another corny, badly-written fiction by me, Midori Akiyama or Raye Williams, whichever you want to call me.

Lemme first say I'm sorry to all Hikaru fans who feel I'm making him the bad guy in this. It'll end well, I promise. The M rating doesn't come to effect until the final chapter, and here's hoping I do as well on that as people say I did on "A Reward for Selflessness."

Story's Hikaru-Kaoru and has minor Tamaki-Haruhi For the record, the title translates to "Dawn, Sunset, and Moon." Enjoy. All normal disclaimers apply.

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Akatsuki, Yuhi, to Tsuki: Chapter 1

It wasn't uncommon for Kaoru to go for walks along the bike path, even without his brother. It was time he spent contemplating his schoolwork, his future careers, and, most often, his capriciously set relationships.

It was October, and Renge had been on a rampant cleaning spree in an attempt to help decorations for the year's Halloween festival. This year wasn't going to host a fear trial so much as a party. Kaoru glanced into the sky, which was a warm blue, broken only occasionally by the clouds threatening to overtake the sun. There was little wind, but every so often, a light breeze would ruffle his red hair and make him raise a hand to push back his bangs. He took extra care to make sure they were smooth, parted to _his_ right, and the left of anyone who looked at him. That was important to him, not that it mattered to anyone else. The mirror would show him what he wanted if he parted it to his right.

Despite the out-of-character precautions, it was a pretty normal day.

Kaoru wasn't planning to go anywhere specific. He was just walking the path. He figured reaching the end would mark the point of turnaround, which was obvious enough, and he'd head home immediately after. The thought displeased him. His already leisurely pace slowed slightly.

Home was boring now. The real fun was in school, and in the Host Club, and, most of all, when he and his brother were doing their routines for their customers. That wasn't the same either. They didn't play the "Which Twin Is Hikaru?" game anymore. Their bangs weren't the reason their hair ruined the fun. Their hair colour was.

The change in their world was.

The intruder was.

Haruhi was.

A biker came up the path in the opposite direction; Kaoru stepped aside politely to make way, but as the rider approached, he slowed and came to a stop a couple feet from him.

"Hey, Kaoru."

It was Arai. Kaoru smiled in the friendliest way he could, considering the person before him. The Hitachiin had nothing against the boy, but bad memories of loneliness and hurt crossed his mind. Arai seemed to sense this, as his freckled face grew red with an embarrassed blush and he grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey…you're far from home. What's up?"

"Very little, just scouting, I guess. Work's been pretty slow lately, so I've had more free time. Where's Hikaru?"

Ah yes, the eternal question. Whenever Kaoru greeted someone, it was with Hikaru, and when it wasn't, that became the topic. Where is the twin? Kaoru suspected his brother suffered the same unintentional abuse. Unfortunately, there wasn't really anyone he could blame for that.

"At home playing video games. I just wanted to go for a walk."

Arai laughed, and Kaoru eased up, a smile coming to him more honestly now. For a commoner, he wasn't hard to get along with. Kaoru wondered briefly why everyone was separated into groups based on money alone.

"Sounds about right. Oh, how's Haruhi? I haven't seen her around much. Still a member of that club?"

"Yeah, and I think she's the most successful host, after To…Tamaki."

"That's awesome. I'm glad she can loosen up a bit. She wasn't unpopular at the middle school, but she didn't hang out with anyone much either. Too into her studies. It's nice that she can still make friends."

_And steal mine_, Kaoru thought savagely, almost snarling aloud in contempt at the thought. He still had feelings for the girl, it was true, but everything from Tamaki's recent states of depression to Hikaru's darker hair colour was…

_Her fault. _

He felt selfish and childish, and his smile faded as he stared at the ground, briefly forgetting about his talking companion. Arai was oblivious to the internal battle. He adjusted his cap and stared into the sky, squinting at the sun.

"Clouds are setting in a bit more," he said thoughtfully, snapping Kaoru from his reflective trance. "It might rain soon. I'm gonna get going. See you."

"Bye," Kaoru said, forcing up a grin. Arai didn't see it as fake and smiled back. Kaoru was a good actor. It was his job. The commoner rode off, leaving Kaoru to himself. Kaoru looked up. The sky was definitely darkening, but he could've cared less. Stuffing his hands in his pockets and keeping his gaze low, he trudged off, his mood slightly less good-natured now.

_It's not right. Haruhi can stick with Tamaki…_he's_ the only one who _really_ loves her. Haruhi needs to leave my brother alone. Hikaru shouldn't be hers…he should be…_

He didn't get to finish his thought. As though an alarm had gone off, he instinctively looked up. The path ended shortly, and to the left of it was a dumpster, against the side of a department building. He'd managed to walk into what Hikaru fondly referred to as "Commoner Country." The smell emanating from the garbage bin was overpowering and Kaoru's eyes watered, but something about it demanded attention. Instincts drove him to examine the boxes littered around the base.

Golden eyes stared down at a padded box; a raindrop splattered against the corrugated edge of the cardboard and Kaoru started, glancing up. It had begun to rain, just as Arai had predicted. Water trickled down the boy's cheeks as he looked down at the box.

Without a word, he closed the flaps of the discarded box and picked it up, before making his way back along the path, his pace less than leisurely. The rain pattered against him. He only held the box closer. After a moment of very brief contemplation, he decided on his destination, far away as it was.

Mori's house.


	2. Attached

This is probably the longest chapter in the story. XD Most chapters are pretty short, sorry.

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Chapter 2: Attached

The shriek of "KAO-CHAAAAAN!" that attacked Kaoru's ears was the last thing the soaked Hitachiin needed after an hour-long walk. If it hadn't been for the package in his arms, he knew Hunny would have tackled him. Mori appeared behind Hunny in the open doorway and put a hand on the tiny senior's head affectionately.

"Make room, Mitsukuni, before he catches a cold."

"Takashi!" Hunny laughed, pushing his cousin playfully as both boys moved out of the way. Kaoru felt almost shy. His orange t-shirt was plastered against his skin, and his jeans were darkened by the rain. He knelt to put the box on the ground and pushed his bangs aside meticulously when he rose again. Hunny bounced around his legs excitedly.

"What's in the box?"

"More importantly," Mori said, "are you okay?"

Kaoru was a little surprised by the question. He turned slowly to meet Mori's dark eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, I am. It's just…I went for a walk along the bike path again, and-"

"Got us a present?" Hunny peeped jokingly, grinning. "You shouldn't have."

Kaoru smiled wryly at him. "You can have them if you want them." He opened the box and stared at the interior for a moment. "I don't know what else to do with them."

Mori glanced down at the box and smiled, lowering his head in satisfaction; Hunny squeaked and put a hand in so that his palm brushed the back of one of the three creatures inside. "Kittens! Takashi, they're so cute!"

The one he touched stirred and looked up, blinking sleepily, its eyes bleary and wet. It was completely black except for a white streak on its chest that reached up to cover its chin and run up its nose like a flicker of smoke. The toes on its forepaws were white as well, and Hunny stroked them, causing the creature to mewl softly.

The other two kittens were orange. One had brown tinges in its fur, and its left ear was completely brown. It looked up when Mori knelt down to scratch its chin, which was a lighter shade of orange, like its belly. Mori rubbed its ribs gently and it rolled over. Its belly was light orange, almost tan. The other orange kitten had brown streaks too, but they were more prominent, as if they were tiger stripes. Its belly was tan, almost identical to the slightly larger one now purring under Mori's large fingers. The one with the brown ear batted at Hunny's fingers playfully while the white-bellied one moved to rub Mori's fingers. So it wouldn't be left out, Kaoru reached down to scratch the ears of the striped kitten; it began to purr immediately, looking up with hazel eyes and squinting with pleasure.

"Anata wa kawaii desune?!" Hunny squealed at them. He picked up the larger orange one and hugged it, nuzzling its nose with his. It squirmed in his hands, mewing.

"Where did you find them?"

"In that same box," Kaoru said, "by a dumpster. Someone just threw them out. It's almost Halloween…bad things happen to stray cats in October, and these kittens are so young."

"They look only about three, four months old, at most," Mori said. He glanced at Hunny; the streaked kitten, and the largest of the three, was licking his cheek. Its ears were back.

Kaoru looked down at the face of the striped one. It had socks; unlike the one Hunny was playing with, the toes on its front paws were white, and so were the toes on its left hind paw. Stripes ran down the kitten's forehead like dripping paint, and when the kitten…and there was no better word for it…smiled, they scrunched together. Kaoru rubbed them fondly.

Mori took a look at the brown-eared kitten Hunny was holding carelessly, then down at the black and white one. After a moment, his fingers stroked the striped's underbelly gently.

"This is female, the other two are males," he muttered. Kaoru picked the tiny female up and sat with his legs crossed so she could lie in his lap. His eyes were already glimmering with an expression Mori saw in Hunny's too often.

"Are you going to keep them?" he asked quietly. "All three?"

Ah, so _that's_ what the Hitachiin was depressed about. Mori glanced up at Hunny, who was almost glaring at him, hugging the ear-tipped kitten to his chest protectively.

"Why? Did you want one?"

Kaoru glanced down at the feline, who was curling into a tight ball in his lap, he tail wrapped around herself securely. The orange on Hunny was cuddling was still purring audibly. He did want her, he decided, but there was only one thing that prevented him from just taking her home.

Hikaru.

If he kept her, Hikaru would want to help take care of her. Kaoru didn't want that. Hikaru had stopped sharing with him. He didn't want to share with Hikaru. Not the kitten, at least. Perhaps, just once…he stroked the kitten's ears. Maybe he could be a little selfish. This time. As if to reassert her position to him, she rubbed his hand.

"We can't really separate them, can we?" Kaoru whispered. "Siblings shouldn't be taken from each other…so young," he added hastily, perfectly aware of Hunny and Mori's eyes on him.

"I want this one!" Hunny whined softly, pressing the large kitten to his cheek. The black male nipped Mori's fingers playfully. "And that one wants you."

"We can take them from each other, but they have to be able to see each other."

"Can't we do that at the Host Club?" Hunny chirped hopefully. Kaoru didn't look up from the kitten, but his eyes traveled to Mori secretively, inquiringly.

"The customers would definitely love to see them, especially combined with Hunny's loli shota act," he said slowly.

"They need constant attention. They'd distract us from our jobs."

As though frightened by the prospect, Hunny hugged his kitten. "Kyou-chan would kill us," he whispered, eyes twinkling.

The three fell silent. Kaoru's kitten had fallen asleep in his lap; she'd stopped purring. Hunny's was rubbing his chin with the top of his kitten's fuzzy little head. One of its ears had bent backwards from the pressure. The black kitten had wrapped its paws around Mori's hand and was chewing on his index finger, tiny claws digging into the human's skin. Mori rubbed the white belly with his pinky.

"I want to name him Yuhi," Hunny spoke up suddenly, his tone cheerful. "He's the same colour as sunset, right?"

Kaoru was afraid to name his, though he quite agreed with his senior. Mori voiced his fears.

"Careful, Mitsukuni. When you name it, you get attached."

Screw it. He was already attached.

"I'm naming her Akatsuki. She's similar to Yuhi, but just different enough to be a separate entity," Kaoru said, mostly to himself.

"Like you and Hika-Chan," Hunny said knowingly, smiling slyly at him. Kaoru pretended he was unaware of his blush and simply stroked the streak of brown running down to Akatsuki's tiny nose.

"So…that settles it," Mori said. "And maybe we can get someone at the school to watch them during club hours."

"Renge?" Hunny suggested.

Kaoru shook his head. "No, she'd dress them up, and I'm pretty sure even a cat would be embarrassed by that." He coughed, raising a hand politely to cover his mouth.

"I'll make some tea," Mori said quietly. "You're going to get sick."

"I'm fine," Kaoru said, but Mori left the room anyway, placing the kitten on the floor. He watched the tall human leave, and cocked his head. After an almost defiant meow, he turned and ran to Hunny as fast as his little legs could take him. A foot from Hunny's bare feet, he screeched to a halt, momentum sending him sprawling over the boy's foot. Hunny scratched him behind the ears, adjusting Yuhi in the crook of his other arm.

"Maybe some of our customers could watch them?" Hunny suggested after awhile. Kaoru looked up from petting Akatsuki's head, golden eyes bright with thought.

"Iiya…they'd tell someone else from the club, especially if suspicion arose."

"Good point," the senior sighed, kneeling. The black male ran toward the door where Mori was entering the room again; Kaoru found himself delighted by the tiny claws scrambling frantically against the polished wooden floor. Fast as the legs moved, the kitten took some time to get to Mori, who scooped it up wordlessly and put a tray down in front of the other boys. Hunny and Kaoru took their mugs of tea and murmured their gratitude, both deeply in thought.

"Any ideas, Takashi?"

"Tsuki."

It took Kaoru a moment to realize he was talking about naming the kitten. It was a fitting name, to be sure.

"For the kitten-sitters, I meant," Hunny said, giggling. Mori smiled.

"Yeah, I know. What about Nekozawa?"

"_There's _an idea," Kaoru said, his lips breaking into a grin.

"Neko-chan! But…he's more interested in the occult, ne? What if he tried to sacrifice them to…to…" He couldn't finish. Frustrated and pouting, he blushed and raised his mug to his lips as an excuse to cut himself off.

"They worship cats," Kaoru pointed out.

Mori sighed in realization, shaking his head. "They worship cat-shaped _objects_," he reminded them. "They don't even like cats, do they?"

"Kirimi doesn't like cats. Umehito-sama might. It's definitely a thought."

"But is it a good thought?" Hunny murmured softly, petting Yuhi's brown ear. Kaoru looked down at his cup for the first time. A stalk was floating in it, stem up; he smiled.

"Hai. I really think so."

"And you're so cute!" Hunny shrieked again, louder than the first time, if that were at all possible. He rubbed his nose to Yuhi's. Akatsuki woke up and mewled in displeasure, squinting at him and laying her ears back.

"Nekozawa-senpai, then," Kaoru said. "Once he gets back from visiting his Russian relatives. You can get Satoshi or someone to watch them tomorrow, right Mori?"

"Un," Mori grunted in acknowledgement. Tsuki chewed his index finger. "And tonight, or Hikaru's going to be all over your girl."

Without a word, Kaoru placed Akatsuki back in the box. She immediately perched on her hind legs, staring at him and clawing at the sides. A cry erupted from her throat.

"Shimatta. Damn things get attached awful fast," Kaoru muttered. He looked back down at his tea. "Could be a good thing."

"Rain's dying down," Hunny said, grinning. "Kao-chan, are you leaving?"

"I'd better, before it gets dark."

"And before Hika-chan freaks out looking for you!" Hunny laughed. "He probably is already!"

Kaoru shook his head slowly, his deadpan, orange eyes locked on Hunny's cheerful amber ones.

"No," he said quietly. "I don't think he is."

With a last look down at Akatsuki, who was now crying for him nonstop, he made for the door and put his shoes back on. Upon opening the door, he hesitated. After a moment, he met Mori's dark eyes.

"Thank you."

He closed the door and headed into the dying rain, leaving Hunny very confused, and Mori very concerned.

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For the record, a stalk floating upright in a cup of tea is a sign of good things to come. XD

Reviewing makes me update faster! :P


	3. Risks

Heheh...finished the story. There are 16 chapters total. Each will be uploaded after I get a review. :3 And I don't mean "Update nao plz" because that's not a review, that's just sad. :P Angsty leads to sweet leads to funny leads to a really hot epilogue. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 3: Risks**

Kaoru was almost grateful to get back to Ouran. He noted the vibrant bliss hidden in Hikaru's eyes when they met Haruhi on the front steps, and couldn't help but smile, clutching his books to his chest more securely.

_If he's happy…_ he thought, letting his mind trail off. He glanced around curiously. There was no sign of the seniors, but Kyouya and Tamaki were making their way toward the lowerclassmen. Kyouya's expression was one of deep annoyance and displeasure. Tamaki was bouncing around him, grinning, flailing his arms, and clearly excited about something. By the time they were in hearing range, Hikaru and Haruhi had become aware of their approach too.

"-part of this stupid cosplay, then you're more deluded than-"

"But that's exactly the point, Mom! The girls would be clinging to their host from fear of the others! Think about how well Hunny's evil act worked in our movie! Think of Hikaru and Kaoru trying to convince each other they're still going to be safe together!" He paused. Then: "Think of the _profit margins._" He dropped his voice so the last two words hit home. Kyouya stopped short to look at him, his dark eyes shining with consideration now that the merits had been pointed out. The typical behavior of the two made Haruhi burst into laughter. The twins put their hands on their hips (Hikaru's right and Kaoru's left) and pressed together so their shoulders touched.

"Aaaaaaaaah," they groaned in unison, "Tono. Kyouya-senpai. What troublesome thing are you two planning?"

"Ah, the unscrupulous twins have already heard part of it," Kyouya droned emotionlessly, putting emphasis on his tone. Tamaki pouted.

"Daijobou desu ka, Tamaki-senpai?" Haruhi said, tilting her head. His eyes met hers; Hikaru moved out of his identical position to Kaoru's to run a hand through his dark hair. Kaoru averted his gaze. Mori and Hunny's approach attracted his attention.

"Waaaaaaai!" Hunny squealed, beaming and hugging Usa-chan. His backpack was oddly still; he wasn't jumping up and down. That caught Kaoru's attention immediately.

"Hey," Mori greeted bluntly. His eyes kept flicking down to Hunny. The shorter boy didn't seem to notice.

"Good morning!" the twins said. Kaoru didn't add a falsetto to his voice; he noticed the mistake when the tone dropped slightly in Hikaru's in a subconscious attempt to match his. Two pairs of identical golden eyes met; Hikaru was obviously unhappy.

"Kao-chan, Kao-chan, is Neko-senpai back yet?!" Hunny chirped happily, squeezing his rabbit. Kaoru shook his head.

"Not sure. I think so. He wouldn't exactly be outside in this sun though."

"It is a nice day," Haruhi said, folding her hands in front of her and glancing at the sky. Tamaki stared at her, affection evident in his eyes, but he stayed silent. Hikaru's slight scowl was evident on his face.

"Yeah, it's nice out," Kaoru agreed aloud, his attempt at taking Tamaki's awkwardness out of play successful. Everyone murmured their consent. Tamaki's violet eyes flicked toward his and he nodded once, as if grateful. Or perhaps he just agreed. Either way, his serious expression made Kaoru smile slightly.

"Mitsukuni," Mori sighed suddenly, making Hunny blush.

"Un…?"

"Come with me…"

Mori headed inside; Hunny shot Kaoru a terrified look and followed, hugging his rabbit. Kaoru caught a flurry of motion inside his backpack that pushed the sides outwards, a suspicious bulge in the usually light bag. Putting two and two together, Kaoru bade the others a short farewell before rushing in after them. He caught them heading in the first floor art room. He caught the door as it began to close and forced it open, pushing Mori back slightly. Hunny was sitting on the floor, Usa-chan lying next to him. The senior was holding his bag in his lap, his arms wrapped around it protectively.

It was squirming.

"Iya," Kaoru muttered, raising a hand to the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes in disbelief. "Hani-senpai, onegai…tell me you didn't…?"

Hunny didn't respond. Slowly, his amber eyes traveled to Mori, who bowed his head slightly in expectation.

"Open it."

After brief hesitation, Hunny obeyed. Before long, Yuhi's tiny orange head had popped out of the opening, his paws propping him up. He sniffed around curiously. Hunny stared at him.

"I'm not supposed to have pets at home. I'm supposed to focus on my training and homework," Hunny explained, his tone low. "I couldn't leave him all alone."

Mori opened his mouth as if to reprimand him, but Kaoru broke through first, staring at the kitten, his voice just as quiet as Hunny's.

"I wanted to do the same thing," he admitted, causing the others to glance at him. "But you two are the only seniors in the club. If Akatsuki had done something to draw attention to herself, it would've been Hikaru or Haruhi to find out, which would have posed problems."

He knelt to put his palm on the top of Yuhi's head. The tiny creature licked his hand affectionately.

"Honestly," Kaoru went on loyally, "I kind of wish there had been four kittens. So Hikaru could have had one without stealing Akatsuki."

He smiled a little at the thought of the striped kitten, but a glance at Mori's stoic, but slightly embarrassed, expression, and the unsure look in Hunny's eyes made his smile falter.

"Nani kore?"

"I'm…kinda glad that Hika-chan can't hang out with us and the kitties," Hunny said thoughtfully, toying with Yuhi's ear and pulling his hand back as the paw came at him. Kaoru's head snapped up, his eyes instantly bright and attentive, his expression shocked.

"What? Why?"

"Well, I kinda like hanging out with you more…um…" He flushed, obviously frustrated by how best to voice such disloyal emotions.

"He's not as easy to tolerate as you," Mori put in helpfully, rubbing his chin in thought. "You're more…polite, and empathic."

"And I get irritated at his ego, and his attitude," Hunny whispered, flicking at the tip of Yuhi's brown ear.

Confused, Kaoru watched him, his eyes asking for more complete answers. _Me, easier to get along with than nii-chan? Impossible…and…how _dare _they suggest that he's so… _He snapped back.

"Naze?" he forced himself to ask, embarrassed to be so curious.

"…you use "boku." He uses "ore." That says a lot about you two." Hunny didn't meet his eyes.

Kaoru looked down thoughtfully. Mori plucked the kitten from the bag by the scruff of the neck and put him in the crook of his left arm gently.

"So I suppose we have a bit of an issue now," he said. "What do we do with him now that he's here?"

"I think we'd better let Hunny-senpai keep him until we find Nekozawa. If he's back yet. We can't leave him alone."

"What if he…y'know…_goes_ in my bag?" Hunny complained weakly.

"Shoulda thought of that first," Kaoru told him. "You took him from his brother and sister into a place full of people who would be shocked to find him. Keep him close."

A knock at the door startled them; hurriedly, Mori lowered Yuhi back into Hunny's bag. The unhappy mew was cut off by the closing flap, and Kaoru called his consent for the knocker to come in.

Three girls holding sketchbooks entered meekly; one of them blushed at the sight of Mori, and the two others waved at Kaoru happily.

"Sumimasen…we didn't mean to interrupt," the blushing girl murmured shyly. "We'll go…"

"No, it's fine," Kaoru offered comfortingly. "We were leaving. C'mon guys."

Hunny plastered a grin onto his face and ran out of the room, arms held out and his lips making airplane noises. His bag bounced against his back precariously. Mori watched it uneasily as he followed, and Kaoru brought up the rear, waving good-bye to the girls, who began to whisper ecstatically to each other as he closed the door. Sighing and looking up, he shoved his hands in his pockets, moving down the halls to his first period class.

He passed Hikaru, who was chatting with Haruhi, smoothing back his ashen hair as if to make a statement. Kaoru kept his eyes low; he didn't say anything, and to the best of his knowledge, Hikaru didn't so much as glance his way.


	4. Gothic Cosplay

This one's short, but then, a lot of them are. Chapter 5 is one of my favourites, so reviewing will definitely grant you a reward. :3

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Chapter 4: Gothic Cosplay

Kaoru was jittery for the majority of the day. Several times, Haruhi stopped him on the way to their next class to question his erratic behavior, but Hikaru's approach always made him quicken his pace and brush her off. It bothered him that she was concerned. It bothered him more that Hikaru didn't seem to be.

He was incredibly grateful when club hours began.

Hikaru changed dramatically when the Host Club went into action. For the theme, instead of an elegant cosplay, Tamaki had selected a faux punk act. The twins and Haruhi entered and began to change into chained jeans, spiked wristbands, and torn T-Shirts. The look suited Mori and Hikaru oddly well, but Hunny looked out of place. He'd smudged charcoal under Usa-chan's eyes. The rabbit looked demonic.

Kaoru's torn black shirt had "Zetsubou" written on it in silver kanji. Chains dangled from baggy jeans, and a cross swung precariously from around his neck. Hikaru's outfit was similar, though the kanji on his shirt translated to "Korosu," and he'd spiked his hair. He was almost beaming; instead of a cross, his headphones were draped around his neck, resting on his shoulders. Kaoru could hear hard rock blasting from across the room.

"What, pray tell, gave you this idea?" Kyouya said musingly, turning slightly to glance down at the sides of his dark jeans, where leather straps wrapped around each of his legs. His shirt's sleeves were cut short and stopped just above his elbows. The shirt was dark red, save for the screaming raven rising from the hem and covering his left ribcage. "It's not exactly a look that screams "beautiful and romantic rich men," is it?"

"This style is oddly popular in America right now," Tamaki shrugged, smiling brightly. His violet eyes glinted in stark contrast against the dark make-up around his eyes. His pants bore chains, not leather straps, and his navy-blue T-shirt was completely sleeveless, leaving room for spiked wristbands. Kaoru took note of Haruhi's disability to take her eyes from him. Her outfit was a simple but elegant gown. Dark purple was edging near black, the darkest stopping at her almost nonexistent breast, to make room for a blood-red corset that would have accentuated any curves she may have had. Luckily, she didn't. She looked feminine, but not much more than usual. Hunny, his outfit nearly identical to Kyouya and Mori's except for a spiked collar at his throat, was bouncing around her and squealing.

"Americans are weird," Hikaru muttered, tugging at the chains on his legs. Mori nodded once in agreement before his eyes began to seek out Kaoru's gaze. Orange met black and both lowered their heads slightly.

Nekozawa, Mori mouthed. Kaoru's gaze flicked back to Haruhi and Tamaki, who were avoiding eye contact with each other while Kyouya watched in obvious amusement, and then to Hikaru, who was watching Hunny bounce around. Mori's mouth moved again, carefully. Be subtle.

Kaoru nodded. His mind worked fast. Then:

"Have you guys seen Nekozawa-senpai today?"

He caught a twitch under Mori's left eye, which made him fight a grin. Tamaki nodded.

"Yeah, I saw him heading to the chorus room, down the hall."

Ignoring Mori's desperate glance and Hunny's slow moving and cautious watching, Kaoru smiled. "Think it'd be a good idea to get him to come look over our outfits before we greet the girls?" He sensed the seniors relax. "It seems to be his area of expertise."

"Might prove to be useful," Kyouya said. "Go on."

"Want company?" Hikaru offered, stepping forward and smiling affectionately at his younger brother. Mori and Hunny both winced on the periphery of Kaoru's vision. He felt hurt and loneliness rising in his chest, and with it, an ache. With intense difficulty that invoked a sob to catch in his throat, he shook his head and turned his back to the others. Tears prickled at the corners of his eyes.

"I'm fine. I'll be right back."

He sensed confusion and relief coming from different members. From Hikaru, he felt pain. He ignored his empathy and pressed on. Though he failed to catch the words, he heard Hunny's falsely enthusiastic voice successfully changing the subject. Hikaru's response was a low and incoherent murmur from Kaoru's place in the hallway, but his tense body eased at the sound of it.

Raising his fist hesitantly to knock at the door to the chorus room, Kaoru took in a breath. It came out as a startled yelp as it opened, just as his knuckled descended. Crystal blue eyes regarded him, and a pale hand was against the doorframe. Nekozawa watched him briefly, his hood down and his eyes exposed under dark bangs. After a moment, he pushed open the door and raised his right hand so Belzenev could make a welcoming gesture.

"Arigatou. Um, I need to ask you a rather…unusual favour, Nekozawa-sama."

A wry smile twisted the older boy's lips. His eyes were knowing.

"You have a cat problem."

Taken aback, Kaoru almost laughed. "Yeah. How did-"

"I'm in Haninozuka-san's class. I sat behind him today. His bag sneezed at me, and then a nose popped out of the bag, followed by a head. It stared at me. I pushed it back in so no one else noticed." He inclined his head thoughtfully, the little smirk turning into a far friendlier grin. "Didn't think he'd ever do that."

"I found three kittens thrown out yesterday, two orange ones and a black and white one, which Mori, Hunny, and I named Tsuki, Yuhi, and Akatsuki. We're a bit taken with them. Hunny adopted Yuhi, and didn't want to leave him alone."

"So, what? You want me to cat-sit during Black Magic Club hours?" Nekozawa's expression didn't change, but Belzenev crossed his arms and tapped a pointed hand as if impatient.

"Do you mind?" Kaoru said anxiously.

"Not in the least. I really do like cats, and it's almost All Hallow's Eve, so they won't be safe left without someone watching them. My club utilizes the empty classroom on the second floor…that old math room in the B Wing…and I head there between each class to gather myself. We could keep the kittens there. Maybe Hunny and Mori could come with me occasionally to check on them too." Belzenev was making suggestive motions. Kaoru had trouble meeting Nekozawa's eyes for that reason.

"I'd be grateful. May I ask you something though?"

"Of course."

"You knew Hunny and I were involved…but how did you know Mori was?"

"Are we talking about the same people?" Nekozawa asked, frowning slightly and cocking an eyebrow. Kaoru chuckled softly and Belzenev appeared to do a little dance on the puppeteer's hand. "Does anyone else know about the three kittens? Hunny claimed Yuhi, so I'm guessing Mori claimed one and you claimed the other?"

"The black and white one, Tsuki, is Mori's. Yuhi, as you saw, is orange with a brown ear. Akatsuki is the only female, and she's mine. None of the others know about the kittens…just Mori, Hunny, us, and Mori's younger brother."

"Not telling Hikaru?" Belzenev rubbed a nonexistent chin. Nekozawa's eyes were inquiring, but serious. Kaoru shook his head.

"He's not involved. And we're trying to keep it that way."

Belzenev saluted as the senior lowered his head in a nod. "Secret kittens. Got it. I'll be glad to help."

"Thanks so much," Kaoru sighed gratefully. Nekozawa and Belzenev both raised their left hands to wave him off.

"It's nothing. Now can I ask you one thing?"

"Mm?"

"Why are you dressed like an American faux "Goth" rocker?"

Kaoru grinned. "Cosplay. Which reminds me. You've got to look over our outfits, just for a second."

"Your excuse for coming here?"

"Un."

"Fine, then," he said, raising his hood over his hair and shaking his bangs into his eyes. Belzenev swayed menacingly on his hand and an eerie smirk crept over the senior's lips. In an instant, Kaoru's feelings of comfort and gratitude faded into a shudder of unease.

"Let's go," Nekozawa hissed softly, chuckling.

Shivering, Kaoru opened the door to lead him out, the quiet clacking of his chains an odd contrast to the swishing of Nekozawa's black cloak.


	5. Oniichan

Sorry for the time gap, guys. Got a new computer and needed to recover the chapters from my LiveJournal. Sorry, sorry. DX The at-least-one-review-for-a-chapter thing still stands...just sorry for that last gap.

This one's rather OOC on Kaoru's part just because I love making him even more uke than usual. -grin- First real bits of twincest appear in this chapter. Enjoy.

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**Chapter 5: Oniichan**

Mori's attitude didn't exactly change over the course of the cosplay. He maintained his quiet demeanor. Hunny was pulling off an unusual act; despite his attempts to act indifferent, he kept breaking into fits of giggles that made his hair fall into his eyes. Kyouya was acting more protective than usual about his clipboard. Girls clung to his arms in attempts to see what were probably dark drawings and Gothic limericks.

"I'm not sure about this, Tamaki-senpai…the other hosts are so threatening…I bet Kyouya-senpai even has a knife hidden in those leather straps. We could be in trouble," a girl with pigtails whispered, gripping Tamaki's left arm.

"All of us could!" another gasped dramatically, biting her nails. All around Tamaki, girls whispered and swooned as if in fear.

"Don't be afraid, my dark princesses," he said regally, looking down at the girl at his arm and stroking her cheek. His eyes were twinkling, the light purple an excellent match for his black eyeliner. "Whether or not they are dangerous doesn't matter. I shall protect you all."

As if someone had set of an alarm, the girls around him all shrieked excitedly. He showed them a flawless smile. One of them passed out. Nearby, four girls were gathered around Haruhi, each wearing identical expressions of amazement and admiration.

"Oh, Haruhi-kun! You're so beautiful…just like a girl. It's amazing!"

"I couldn't even pull off such an elegant outfit," one of the girls laughed, envy actually evident in her voice.

"There's really no need for you girls to try," Haruhi said sweetly. "You're just as beautiful as you are now, no matter what clothes you wear."

The girls all sighed and blushed, blinking at Haruhi with pure adoration.

Across the room, Kaoru watched everyone, golden eyes filled with terror, his make-up running slightly due to the tears glistening there. In small groups, girls had been lovingly gathering around him. He ignored them, his eyes traveling nervously for someone in particular.

"Kaoru, they won't bother you," a girl crooned sweetly. "You look just as cool and spooky as them."

One of the girls was stroking his arm. He hated her for it, and was grateful for the excuse to edge toward the door. They all stared at him pityingly, like a group of people might pity an injured kitten. Kitten…he wondered where Nekozawa and Yuhi had vanished. The senior had given him one last look of acknowledgement before smuggling the creature out of the third floor music room under his cloak. It was almost-

He was distracted. Warm arms wrapped around him, and the brief shock made the gasp that escaped his lips just a bit more real. He looked up into loving, trustworthy eyes, the same golden-brown colour as his own. Hikaru smiled down at him, gently wiping some of the tears and charcoal from his brother's terrified eyes. Kaoru relaxed, leaning against his brother's chest and sighing.

"This'll all be over soon, my brother," Hikaru said silkily, his tone a perfect combination of seductive play and comforting love. "Just stay by my side, and I'll protect you."

"H…Hikaru…"

He closed his eyes. Girls squealed about their brotherly love. Kaoru, despite himself, bit his lower lip almost hard enough to draw blood. Cosplays only lasted so long, after all. He didn't want Hikaru to let go of him. He inhaled shakily through his mouth, taking in a strong smell of leather and incense.

Hikaru's arms tightened around him suddenly. Kaoru looked up; the elder Hitachiin's expression had changed, very subtly, but it was obvious to him. There was an alarming amount of real concern mingling with the actor's expression.

"Excuse us, girls," Hikaru said, unwrapping his arms from around his brother. Still, his right hand snuck lower to lace with his brother's fingers. Kaoru squeezed gently, and Hikaru held tighter. "I must speak with my brother…he's still scared. I feel his pain."

They left the gaggle of girls screaming and waving at them ecstatically. Kaoru's temples throbbed with a headache. Again, he was distracted. By the time the twins had gotten halfway down the hall, Hikaru leaned against the wall. His fingers ran through Kaoru's hair soothingly and he pulled his brother closer to him so Kaoru could rest against his chest.

"What is it?" Kaoru said softly, his attempt at keeping his tone even an unsuccessful solution to the emotional stress building inside of him.

"Exactly what I was about to ask."

Kaoru felt his brother's fingers stroke his hair gently. Hikaru's breaths were soft and almost silent, and Kaoru listened to the unaltered pattern until Hikaru broke it, inhaling sharply to speak again.

"Kaoru. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Kaoru said. "It's just the smell of incense and all the leather…I feel sick, and I have a migraine."

Hikaru pressed a palm to his forehead lightly. "You're warm. Do you want to go home?"

"It's club hours."

"Kaoru." Hikaru grasped his chin gently, raising his head slowly so their eyes met. Hikaru regarded Kaoru's eyes briefly. Then, more seriously and more quietly, "Do you want to go home?"

Kaoru's mind whirred. There were several reasons he wanted to say no: the customers, the kittens, the host club's profit margins (and Kyouya's wrath), Mori and Hunny, Haruhi, Hikaru…he tried to pull away from his brother, but Hikaru's grip was firm, and he held Kaoru close stubbornly. The latter laid his head against the elder's chest again.

"No," he murmured softly. Hikaru's chin was resting in his hair. Kaoru could feel every breath rustling it. His bangs were a wreck, and he squirmed at the thought of it. Hikaru mistook this movement for just another weak attempt for Kaoru to extricate himself from his arms. Unsure why, he felt a jolt of pain in his stomach. Frustrated, he raised his left hand to run a hand through his ash-coloured hair. Ash…Hikaru bit his lip in thought, the habit being just one of many that he shared with his brother.

Or maybe not so many. Kaoru's breaths were shaky and had no pattern. Hikaru felt strange listening to it. He doubted it was concern. '_I'm actually getting turned…! What the bloody hell?!'_

"Yeah," Kaoru broke into his thoughts. He looked up. "Actually, I do want to go. Can I borrow your cell? I forgot mine at home."

"What? Oh, sure." Hikaru handed the blue phone to him and watched him call the chauffer to pick him up. Thinking fast, he put a hand on Kaoru's shoulder, his touch feather-light, then made his way back to the music room at a cool stride.

"Tono."

Tamaki and Kyouya both looked up at the call, as did several of the girls. Most of the latter began to whisper in awe and curiosity. Hikaru had adopted an expression of worry and determination.

"Yes, Hikaru?"

"I'm taking Kaoru home. He's sick."

The girls drowned Tamaki's answer out with shrieks of melodramatic sympathy. Hikaru was sure the club's president was on the verge of rolling his eyes when he finally brought his head down in a nod. Mori and Hunny exchanged knowing glances.

Haruhi's eyes met Hikaru's and she broke away from her customers to approach him. Hikaru forced his eyes away from her outfit and stared into concerned brown eyes.

"Is he alright? He was acting weird today…maybe you should get him to a doctor?"

Her concern was amazingly strong. Hikaru didn't exactly understand why she cared so much about Kaoru. It's not like he was _her_ brother. Hikaru scoffed internally. _'Sorry, Haruhi-chan. He's _mine_.'_

_'…wait, what?'_

"He'll be okay. See you."

The club members all raised their voices to bid him farewell over the girls screaming their good-byes to the elder Hitachiin. Hikaru caught up with Kaoru sitting on a bench outside, his knees pulled to his chest. His face was buried in his legs, his head bowed. He looked up only when Hikaru called his name.

"Why aren't you up with the Host Club?" Kaoru asked. His voice was wavering, an unusual quality. His eyes, however, were almost hopeful, but were rimmed with red and slightly puffy. His eyeliner was gone. There were still smudges of residue, as if he'd rubbed it off in a hurry. Hikaru was pretty sure he'd been crying; it wouldn't have been a leap to assume such.

"You're going home," Hikaru told him, sitting beside him. He propped his elbows against the back of the bench, leaning back and watching his brother's face. "So…did you really not expect me to come with you?"

"Kind of," Kaoru admitted, smiling slightly. "Today's cosplay seemed your style."

"Not yours," Hikaru told him, frowning (which, in turn, wiped the smile from Kaoru's face). "That wasn't just acting. I saw you. You were really upset."

"Just because I didn't feel good," Kaoru lied. "It was fun. Did you see Haruhi? She looked incredible."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Surprised, Kaoru looked at him. Hikaru moved his position so he was leaning forward, elbows on his legs with his hands draped over his knees. His eyes were unblinking. "You guess so?"

"I wasn't really paying attention to her. I was watching you. You…wh…what? Why are you looking at me like that?!" Hikaru cocked an eyebrow and pulled away, startled, as Kaoru threw his arms around him.

"Arigatou…" he said softly, closing his eyes halfway and resting his chin on Hikaru's shoulder. Awkwardly, since his arms were pinned to his sides, Hikaru hugged him back.

"I'm here for you, man," he said quietly. "You're still my other half. Even if we have to grow out of it eventually, that time hasn't come yet."

Kaoru opened his eyes in disbelief, his line of vision blurry with shock. This was _Hikaru_ being so lovingly profound? '_Impossible. There's no way.'_ His heart jolted at the rare emotions flooding him, but Hikaru's inquiring gaze embarrassed him.

"Hikaru," he whispered finally. "When's the limo gonna get here?"


	6. Forced Acknowledgement

Hey guys. I didn't really like this chapter, personally...it felt unnecessary and drawn-out, and I'll tell you the other nuisance at the end of the chapter so I don't spoil. Enjoy!

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Chapter 6 - Forced Acknowledgement

Whatever that thing tickling the tip of Kaoru's nose was, it was very obnoxious. He was still tired. He didn't want to open his eyes yet, and he growled lowly at the annoyance. His response came as a harder whack in the nose by something incredibly furry. A meow greeted his ears. His eyelids flickered and snapped open.

"Akatsuki desu ka?" he muttered, exhaustion clouding his mind. She was staring at him, sitting on his chest with her tail curled around her hind legs, one white forepaw raised. She smashed him in the nose again and mewled.

"Thanks for the wake-up call. Wait…"

He sat up and she toppled into his lap clumsily. Kaoru glanced around in confusion. "What…Hunny?"

The owner of the spoken name was sitting on a cat carrier in the corner of the room, waving Usa-chan's ears in Yuhi's face so he'd bat at them. Mori was near him, kneeling and tickling the stomach of Tsuki, who was sprawled on his back.

"Waaaaaai, he's awake!" Hunny squealed, grinning. Mori nodded.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Visiting you. Figured you might want to see your adopted daughter." He grinned. Mori rubbed Tsuki's belly.

"Tamaki and Kyouya are hanging out at the pier. I'm pretty sure Hikaru and Haruhi are on a date, but I could be wrong," he said.

"A date, huh?" Kaoru looked down at Akatsuki, who was licking her paw indifferently. He scritched her behind the ears and under the chin. "That's odd. He's usually not so forward with his emotions as to ask anyone out.

"Well, I'm actually pretty sure that it was Haruhi that took the initiative and asked him out."

That didn't exactly make things easy for Kaoru; that much was certain. He attempted to keep his eyes on the kitten in his lap, but finally looked at Mori, sheer curiosity boiling behind his eyes.

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"Haru-chan told Hika-chan she wanted to talk to him, and said they should probably get coffee or something. Hika-chan didn't want to leave you all alone, so he sent us to come get you. Said something about you being sick."

"I feel better," Kaoru murmured thoughtfully. "Why didn't he wake me up?"

"Gee, I wonder," Hunny said. His attempt to keep the sarcastic to a dull monotone was rendered useless because of the series of giggles that issues from his mouth. He buried his face into Usa-chan's back and watched Kaoru.

"Can't exactly say I'm excited Hikaru and Haruhi are on a date," Kaoru murmured softly, mostly to himself. _'God, did I say that out loud? PLEASE tell me I didn't say that out loud. Please, please…'_

"Why not?" Hunny asked, frowning and looking up. Mori glanced at the bed. Kaoru flushed.

'_Shit.' _

"It's just…okay, fine, if the kittens are a secret…this has to be too. Okay?" Kaoru looked at them pleadingly.

"Of course," Hunny said, his easy-going nature pushed aside for the time being. His eyes showed nothing but loyalty to Kaoru. Mori nodded.

"Yeah."

"Okay. When I finally admitted to Haruhi that I loved her, I did it with the complete intent to finish that with letting her know that…well, I didn't want her to myself. I wanted Hikaru to be able to love her and have her return his feelings. I'm backing Hikaru up fully."

"Pretty sure that's helping the stupid kid out a lot, " Hunny chuckled softly.

"Yeah…but that's not a great thing." Kaoru furrowed his brows in frustration, petting the soft spot right about Akatsuki's nose. "Tamaki's in love with her. And at this point, it's pretty damn obvious she's in love with him, too."

"He is," Mori confirmed. "He's spoken to Kyouya and me about it several times."

"I love Hikaru and Haruhi, and even Tamaki," Kaoru sighed. "Hikaru's my brother, and Tamaki and Haruhi are my best friends. I don't want them to get hurt. But…how can I back up Hikaru's attempts at wooing Haruhi, without getting in Tamaki's way? Since the beginning, I knew that Haruhi and Tamaki are pieces of a puzzle that fit together…perfectly. Like when you carve the eyes and mouth out of a pumpkin and can still push them back in with no problem."

"So you want to help Hika-chan end up with Haru-chan without ruining Tama-chan's chances at doing the exact same thing," Hunny wrapped up, his tongue tripping slightly over the honorifics.

"Exactly. I can't help one without hurting the other, and I can't step out completely, or Hikaru will think I'm plotting against him. He needs me there or he'll never be able to do this. He's too unsure of his emotions."

"If you want my advice, keep helping Hika-chan," Hunny said simply. "Tama-chan can probably take the initiative when he finally feels confident, but Hika-chan will never be able to do that without you. Ever. And maybe you'll get lucky and Tamaki-kun will see Hika-chan's feelings and step out…or vice versa."

"This isn't just about Haruhi, though. Is it, Kaoru?" Mori's voice was an odd break in the high-pitched speech Hunny was giving. Kaoru looked at him uneasily.

"What do you mean…?"

"Are you trying to make Haruhi happy, or Hikaru?"

"…Both."

"But what about you?"

"Oh, not this again!" Kaoru groaned, rolling his eyes and propping his chin on his knuckles. "Look. I'm happy if Hikaru's happy, Hikaru's happy if Haruhi's happy, Haruhi's happy if…"

"Tamaki's happy," Mori said, filling in the blank left when Kaoru's voice trailed off. Despite his efforts to keep calm, Kaoru could feel tears building in his eyes. He shook his head once, violently, to clear his head. Akatsuki pawed at his shirt.

"I don't know, okay?" he growled. He had one hand on the bed, and he clenched it into a fist, balling up the blankets in his fingers. "It doesn't matter. Hikaru needs to be happy. And I can help with that."

"Kao-chan!" Hunny cried unhappily. He sounded as if he, too, was on the verge of tears. '_Empathic little nuisance,'_ Kaoru thought savagely, shame and anger both filling him at the notion. "You can't just say "Hika's happy and so am I!" when you're NOT! You're miserable! It's so sad how obvious that is."

Kaoru had enough sense to not try and retaliate to this. He kept silent, staring at Akatsuki. Her golden eyes reminded him of Hikaru's. A wet droplet landed on her head, darkening orange fur. He rubbed at it with a thumb, then used his index finger to smooth her fur. Outside, a car door slammed.

"Hikaru's back," Kaoru murmured quietly, picking Akatsuki up and setting her on the floor so she could run towards Tsuki and Yuhi. "You two'd better get going. Thanks for keeping an eye on me and bringing Akatsuki over."

Silence. Hunny opened his mouth, but a look from Mori made him close it without uttering a single sound.

"Got it. All right, Kaoru. Feel better."

"Feel better, Kao-chan."

"Bye," Kaoru said quietly, watching them put the kittens in the cat carrier. They left, probably through the back door with the help of the maids. A few minutes later, loud footsteps outside of the closed door announced Hikaru's presence. There was a creak of floorboards, as if Hikaru was hesitating. Then, the door opened. Hikaru was wearing his summer clothes, and he tugged at the loose strap at his left arm distractedly.

"Hey, Kaoru. Feeling sick?"

"Not so much anymore. Thanks for having Hunny and Mori to watch me though." He smiled.

"Didn't want to leave you all alone," Hikaru muttered, moving his hand to rub the back of his head as though he were irritated. "Doesn't really-"

"How'd it go?" Kaoru interrupted, eyes innocently bright and inquiring. Hikaru watched him analyzingly, expression stoic, slowly moving his hand down to his side. His dyed-dark hair was ruffled. '_There's something about him…he's…angry? No…'_

"I…she mostly asked me about Tamaki. She likes him. A lot. Like, the same way he likes her."

"He loves her?" Kaoru pressed him softly, lowering his lashes and averting his gaze. He sensed Hikaru's aura darken; out of Kaoru's view, the elder Hitachiin's eyes narrowed, and he frowned.

"You think I don't know that? And how much do you know about him, anyway?"

"I know he loves her more than any of the other girls he's ever flirted with. And yeah…she's developing identical feelings."

"Kaoru."

He didn't want to look up. Hikaru's tone was dominative, menacing. For the first time in his life, Kaoru was afraid of meeting his eyes.

"Hika, I-"

"Don't call me that."

"…I'm sorry. But listen to me." Kaoru clenched his fists decisively, staring at a glass elephant on the shelf. "I gave Haruhi up because I knew you loved her. And you still do, even though I don't anymore. I'll do almost anything to help you gain her love." He met his brother's gaze at last, glare meeting glare, both expressions angry and defiant. "I won't stand in our lord's way, and I won't. Let. _You_. "

"That so?" Hikaru's voice had a cold edge to it. Kaoru nodded, unperturbed, but determined.

"Yeah, it is. I'll back you up. But I won't hurt Tamaki." He dropped his voice to a low growl. "Does that make me a bad person?"

Through narrowed eyes, he saw Hikaru's expression harden. Calmer, and with a sense of grim satisfaction that was evident in his eyes, he glared at his little brother. In anticipation and slight curiosity, Kaoru softened his gaze.

"No," Hikaru said softly. "It just makes you a bad brother."

He turned without meeting Kaoru's eyes to see the damage. He left the room with not so much as a backwards glance, and Kaoru sat at the edge of his bed, unclenching his fists so that the blankets fell all around him. He felt dead weight in his heart, and his throat felt tight; he swallowed hard. A dry sob almost broke from his throat. Tears prickled at the corner of his gaze and he closed his eyes, unwilling to let them fall, bowing his head.

His strength didn't last long. It was seconds later that he bowed his head, silent tears spilling from his eyes, slipping beneath clamped lids and moistening his lashes. Three words, each strangled from the sorrow and pain holding them inside of him, escaped his lips:

"I'm sorry, Hikaru…"

* * *

Third reason? Methinks I made Hikaru just a bit mean. T.T

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	7. Checking In

I got only average ratings for this chapter on LiveJournal, but it's likely because this chapter is a bridge to other parts of the story. Also, this is the half-way mark for the last chapter. And I'm eager to see how many people are JUST reading for the epilogue. XD

Anyways, enjoy.

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**Chapter 7 - Checking In**

Mori watched Akatsuki and Tsuki wreak havoc on Kaoru's sleeping body. Despite the two cats wrestling on his ribcage, he slept, his breaths shaking as if he was fighting tears even while unconscious. Mori's eyes narrowed. Hunny stirred next to him and woke up, squinting through the moonlight at his cousin.

"Takashi? Whassamatter?"

"Nothing."

Hunny glanced at Kaoru. Quietly, he lowered his lashes and spoke. "You think he and Hika-chan got into a fight?"

"Yeah."

"Think things'll be okay?"

Mori didn't say anything. Tsuki toppled off of Kaoru's side and dug his claws into the boy's arm in fear. In his sleep, Kaoru winced and curled into a tighter ball. He didn't awaken. Clumsily, Tsuki crawled back onto his shoulder, where he was promptly knocked off again by Akatsuki's fierce pounce. Mori watched tiny droplets of blood form on Kaoru's bare skin, and sighed.

"I don't know," he said, getting up. He grabbed a washrag from the shelf beside his sink and wet it, wringing it out. "Maybe."

"But what's this all about? I mean..." He trailed off into a sleepy yawn, watching Mori kneel down beside Kaoru and brush the kittens away. "What if Hika-chan found out about Tamaki?"

"I suppose that would've started it," Mori agreed, wiping the blood from Kaoru's arm gently. The Hitachiin stirred, but didn't wake up. "It wasn't long after we left that he came over and asked to spend the night. He probably snuck out."

Hunny lay back down. The three boys were on the floor of Mori's meditation chambers, lying on thin blankets with soft pillows supporting their heads. A box lined with wool towels in the corner served as the kittens' bed; the entire room smelled of lavender and kitty litter.

Mori finished and got up, tossing the cloth back into the sink lazily.

"Mitsukuni, get some sleep. We'll worry about the twins tomorrow."

"I'm not worried about the twins. I'm worried about Kao-chan."

Mori smiled slightly at the face that, despite the childlike features, was drawn into a serious expression.

"Me too. But he can patch things up. They did once before. They will again."

Hunny grinned. "Kay!" He closed his eyes, and was sleeping not long after. Lying down and staring at the ceiling, Mori lapsed into silent contemplation.

'Kaoru loves his brother. Hikaru loves Haruhi. Tamaki and Haruhi love each other. If Kaoru's only happy when his brother is, neither of the two will end up happy. Maybe things won't be okay. But then…'

He glanced at Hunny, and then turned to Kaoru. Yuhi was lying in the box, mewling, and Akatsuki was scrambling down Kaoru's legs to get to her brother. Mori watched her lick at his face and curl up with him. Tsuki joined them momentarily, bored and alone. The three sleeping kittens made him smile hopefully.

'Kaoru's not the older brother. Maybe Hikaru can take over for a change. Maybe things will turn out fine.'

The kittens were purring. The soft sounds sent Mori into a comfortable sleep.

-

At the Hitachiin residence, Hikaru's bed was empty. Instead, the usual inhabitant was pacing in Kaoru's room, biting his thumb, his eyes filled to the brim with regret and concern.

"Damn it. Kaoru, where the hell are you?" he growled uneasily. "Please, come home…"

He glanced outside. The sun was just starting to rise; it was probably about an hour away from the time he'd have to leave for school, and he'd not slept a wink all night. Shadows lingered under his eyes. His dark grey hair was messy from lack of care.

'Why the hell was I so pissed off inside? I know Tamaki likes Haruhi, and I know she likes him. That doesn't mean I have no chance with her. In fact…I don't…care. Not about her. But Kaoru…he was so willing to do everything for me but that. So why am I mad at him? It wasn't his fault…and I hurt him. I know I did.'

Frustrated, he dragged his fingers through his hair. It was a habit he'd only taken to recently…was he making a statement? He glanced in the mirror. His bangs naturally parted to the right, unless he styled it otherwise. With his wide-eyed, concerned expression, and the mirror flipping his bangs to the left…it could've been Kaoru staring back at him. Except the hair colour.

Hikaru put the bridge of his index finger to his mouth, thinking. Could _this_ be why Kaoru had recently been so meticulous in keeping his bangs perfect?

A knock at the door startled him, and made him jump into the air. He ran to the door hopefully and jerked it open, only to step back, crestfallen. The maids stepped around him daintily.

"Ohayo-gozaimasu!" they said cheerfully, speaking in unison. They paused, then turned around in confusion. "Hikaru-sama?"

"Yeah, it's me. Kaoru never…got back from his walk last night. I…guess I'm worried."

"He slept over at Takashi Morinozuka's, sir," they said. Hikaru's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't suppress a grin.

"Really?"

"Yes, sir. Now you must get ready to leave. You look terrible, sir."

The grin faded. "Great. Thanks."

They left him to get dressed. More hopeful now, he stared outside again. The sunlight winked at him, fiery fingers pulling at the horizon.

"Kaoru…I hope an apology would work," he muttered. "An apology…for leaving you alone, for hurting you…and for lying."

-

Satoshi bounced once so that the shoulder strap of his bag would settle back in its rightful place. He opened the door and smiled at Tamaki, who waved.

"Kon'nichi wa, Satoshi-san."

"Ohayo. What's up? Isn't this place a bit out of your way?"

Tamaki waved a hand dismissively. "Not really. I fancied a drive today and gave my chauffer a break…figured I'd stop by and offer Mori a ride, and Hunny, if he's here."

"Got room for a third passenger?" Satoshi asked, shifting his bag again. Tamaki nodded and gave a little shrug.

"Yeah. Need a ride?"

"No thanks, Suou-san, but one of the Hitachiin twins slept over last night and I'm sure he wouldn't turn one down. I think he had a fight with his brother."

A look of distress passed over Tamaki's gleaming violet eyes and he bowed his head slightly.

"Which one?"

"I dunno, can't tell them apart and didn't want to bother him by accidentally calling him the wrong name. It's the nicer one."

"Nicer?" Tamaki raised an eyebrow and Satoshi blushed, grinning sheepishly.

"Nicer. Y'know, he's modest. Uses "boku.""

"Ah, Kaoru. Thanks, Satoshi-kun. Can you tell them I'm out front?"

"Can't, gonna be late. You can go back there and get 'em, they won't mind. Pretty sure they're just playing with their kittens in the meditation area."

He took off running down the sidewalk, waving to Tamaki, who waved back. As he turned back inside, his mind did a back-flip. Kittens?

He slid the door open, minding the three silhouettes. Kaoru was on his knees, holding his bag; a tiny orange head was peering out, the kitten's nose twitching. Hunny and Mori were putting two other cats into their bags. Mori was the first to look up and freeze. It was only when the 2-A student spoke that they jolted to attention.

"Well. Hello, my subjects. What might this be?" Tamaki said slyly, indicating the cats.

Tsuki nipped at Mori's fingers while Kaoru put a hand on Akatsuki's chest to keep her from jumping from the bag. Hunny adopted an expression of bored innocence.

"Bust-ed…"

* * *

Heh, I love this chapter, even if it's not my best.

* * *


	8. Before School Hours

If you guys are anything like my sister and my private reviewers, you'll want me to update this thing mighty fast after you read the end of this chapter. I highly suggest you review to get chapter nine as fast as possible. ;)

* * *

**Chapter 8 - Before-School Hours**

Tamaki's arms were crossed, a smug grin plastered over his handsome features. He tapped his toes against the polished floor, waiting. Kaoru closed his bag, sealing the cat inside, while Hunny and Mori just stared at the Host Club's president, also waiting.

"So…cats, eh?"

"I found them two days ago on my walk along the bike path," Kaoru spoke up. His voice was a dull monotone, and his eyes were narrowed, most unlike him, and completely void of emotion. Tamaki shivered at what he recognized as Kaoru's defensive state. "We got attached and we didn't want to separate them. Nekozawa watches them during school hours so they can play together."

"Um…what he said," Hunny said sheepishly, ducking behind Usa-chan.

"And you guys kept this a secret, why?" Tamaki complained. Now that the smug expression had been wiped from his face, he looked like a child. He lunged to Mori's side (Hunny jumped back, yelping in terror) and scratched Tsuki under the chin, babbling to the feline in a baby-voice.

Kaoru watched him, eyes widening to their usual size. "Tono…"

"Are you going to tell the club? The customers would love these little cuties. Hi there! HI! Do you want to meet Antoinette? She'd love you, yes she would." Tsuki pawed at his hand gently.

"I don't think Tsuki-chan likes dogs very much," Hunny giggled. "And the kittens would distract our customers, ne?" He smiled sweetly.

Tamaki drew himself up and sighed, frowning in disappointment. "You're right. But why keep them secret?"

"We don't want Kyouya to make us get rid of them," Mori said.

"And Kao-chan doesn't want Hika-chan to find out," Hunny said, then bit his tongue and glanced regretfully at Kaoru. The latter bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement.

"So I don't want to share my kitten. No big deal."

'Liar.'

"So what now?" Hunny whispered, hugging his bag close. Yuhi licked his chin. "Gonna tell Kyouya and make us get rid of them?"

"Do I really seem like the kind of person who would do that?" Tamaki smiled attractively at his friends, a smile of honest loyalty that made even Mori's lips turn up at the corners. His eyes twinkled. Kaoru looked up, obviously cheered up slightly by Tamaki. An orange and white paw stuck out of the corner of Kaoru's bag, causing a pale hand to move to cover it. He flushed, still smiling weakly.

"Tamaki, Nekozawa watches them, but it might be helpful if you assist him," Mori suggested.

"He's right," Kaoru spoke up thoughtfully, moving so he could sit on his heels, toes pushed into the ground. "Kyouya explores the grounds sometimes for ideas about marketing strategies. We keep the kittens in the unused second floor math room during the school day, and in the Black Magic Club during Club hours."

"Would that be why you snuck over there yesterday for Nekozawa-senpai to "check on our outfits"?" Tamaki said slyly. Kaoru nodded, smirking.

"Yeah."

"Clever tactic. Okay, so no one else knows? Just us and Satoshi?"

"Satoshi. That…" Mori cut himself off, averting his gaze. Kaoru and Hunny burst into fits of silent laughter, and Tamaki chuckled softly.

"So, you three want rides to Ouran?"

"Sure, Tama-chan! Are you driving? Cool!"

Tamaki grinned. "Iku ze."

(OR)

"He slept over with Takashi and me last night," Hunny murmured softly, glancing at the Hitachiin pacing near the school's entrance arch. Kyouya and Haruhi followed his gaze unhappily. Mori shifted Kaoru's bag on his left shoulder, his own in his right arm. No one noticed the flickers of movement within them except for Hunny, who hugged Usa-chan close and grinned into his pink fur.

"We can't have them fighting. Their customers were thrilled with the "protective brother" act during yesterday's cosplay," Kyouya said. "Them fighting will destroy any admiration the customers-"

"Forget the customers," Tamaki said, biting his thumb. "I don't like seeing this. At all. This isn't just a threat to the Club's family, but also to their family. The last time the twins fought, Hikaru dyed his hair dark grey and they were both putting on facades of happiness for days."

"I don't understand," Haruhi said unsurely. "The first day I saw Hikaru's new style, they both nearly fell out of a window trying to greet me."

"Facades," Tamaki repeated, nodding. "When you've known them a bit over two years, you can tell if they're honest or not. By the wideness of Kaoru's eyes…"

"The confidence in Hikaru's voice," Kyouya agreed.

"The way Kao-chan meets people's eyes…"

"The way Hikaru walks…"

"How nervous Kaoru is…"

"How protective Hika-chan is…"

"Okay!" Haruhi exclaimed, tossing her arms in the air. She lowered them only to push her index and middle fingers to her temples in irritation. "Okay, I've got it. So what do we do?"

Kaoru sneezed suddenly, raising his index finger to his nose as if in thought. He glanced at the Host Club, who all glanced in different directions, embarrassed. When Kyouya finally had the courage to glance back at him, he'd slipped back into the school's road to wait for Hikaru's limo.

"Clear."

Haruhi sighed. "This is my fault. If I'd just been more gentle yesterday when I asked Hikaru to hang out with me, I'm sure none of-"

"Don't say that," Tamaki interrupted quietly, his gaze on her one of nothing less than pure affection. "Hikaru's selfish and easily angered. He probably took it out on Kaoru without thinking straight. Not anyone's fault but his own, and Kaoru'll forgive him for that."

"Takashi," Hunny said. "Nekozawa's here. We were going to talk to him about that dark magic cosplay next month, remember?" He glanced at Tamaki meaningfully, eyes insistent. "Tama-chan, it was your idea, you just needed advice. You should come."

Tamaki nodded. "Sure."

The three went into the building, bidding Kyouya and Haruhi farewell.

"He's right, you know," Kyouya said softly, watching Haruhi's huge brown eyes as they traveled the grounds in search for one of the twins. She looked back at him.

"You sure?"

"The twins can be idiots sometimes, but Hikaru knows how to apologize, and Kaoru knows how to forgive. And both are more perceptive than they seem."

Haruhi smiled at him. "You amaze me sometimes."

"Oh?" Kyouya smirked slightly, arching a brow.

"If only money wasn't the first thing on your mind the other ninety-nine percent of the time," Haruhi snickered. She turned around to head inside, and Kyouya narrowed his eyes mockingly, following her.

"That's ninety-eight to you, Miss Clumsy-And-Always-In-Debt."

Haruhi laughed, wondering briefly where Tamaki had run off to. The amusing distraction didn't last for very long. At the first flight of stairs, a screech of car tires and a loud crash outside made them exchange glances of horrified concern. As they rushed back outside, pushing past the crowd of students all running in the same direction, Kyouya stared at the scene before him grimly, and a strangled, terrified cry make Haruhi freeze, eyes widening:

"**_KAORU!_**"

* * *

Review. You _know _you want to.


	9. Failed Confession

Heh.

* * *

**Chapter 9 - Failed Confession**

Haruhi blinked rapidly, her temples throbbing with the migraine caused by the girls screaming shrilling in fear around her. Kyouya's fingers clasped over her shoulder. Had she been paying attention, she probably would have caught onto the fact that his hand was trembling. Instead, her eyes were locked onto the two fallen figures on the side of the road. A car was mere feet from them, an irritated schoolboy beside it on a cell phone. His chauffeur was behind a tree, and by the sounds of things, was throwing up. The car was totaled, the front completely pressed into the thick trunk of a tree. The engine smoked, hissing almost menacingly.

Despite the sounds of the crashed car, the shrieking students, and the quiet grumbling of the men on their cells, Kaoru, on his back with his panting twin collapsed on him, heard nothing but the resonance of his brother's terrified scream echoing in his mind. Shocked, he moved from under Hikaru, shifting so that he had an arm supporting him.

"Hikaru?"

"Damn," the elder Hitachiin swore softly, opening one eye halfway in a wince. He pressed his left hand against his ankle. "Twisted it."

He turned to meet his brother's eyes and inhaled sharply, holding the breath within him as if it empowered him. Kaoru's gaze was confused, mournful, and petrified to the point of scaring Hikaru himself.

"Twisted it?" Kaoru whispered, his voice unusually hoarse. "You're complaining about a twisted ankle? Hikaru, you almost got hit by a _car_!"

"What the hell were you doing so close to the road? If you were any closer to the edge of the sidewalk, the stupid bastard would've…" Hikaru's murmur trailed off as his mind finally absorbed Kaoru's desperate cry. He sat up and watched the shivering boy before him, his own eyes refusing to betray his pounding heart.

"I saw you walking up the path," Kaoru replied quietly. "Wasn't…paying attention to anything else. Least of all drunk drivers."

He glanced at the black streak left by the burned tires, and the scuff against the asphalt where Hikaru had lunged to tackle him…to save him…Kaoru was refusing to blink for fear of Hikaru disappearing.

"Thank you," he whispered finally, throwing his arms around Hikaru's neck and burying his face in his shoulder. Hikaru moved a hand up to the side of Kaoru's face and used his thumb to wipe away the tears glistening in his younger brother's eyes.

"Consider it an apology…"

"Do you always have to play the hero?" Kaoru sighed into Hikaru's shirt, still trembling violently.

"For you," was the response. Kaoru's fingers ached as he pressed them closer to Hikaru's back.

Hikaru put his free arm around his brother in a hug, curling his legs closer to them in a vain attempt to soothe his ankle. Haruhi watched the two of them. Though they continued to talk to each other, she was out of hearing range. Behind her, one of the twins' customers slipped a pouch into Kyouya's hand. It clinked suggestively.

"Oh well," Kyouya said, shrugged and heading back towards the school. Even from her view of his back, Haruhi could see him pouring money into his palm. "All's well that ends well."

"…rich bastard…"

(--)

Needless to say, Haruhi, and most of her class, had intense difficulty paying attention to their teachers for the rest of the day. In the back of the classroom, the twins had moved their desks closer together, and they were holding hands so tightly that Haruhi felt they were afraid to let go. She marveled at how the thin fingers didn't snap.

Girls whispered around her, each glancing back at the Hitachiin brothers anxiously. Kaoru seemed to be trying hard to concentrate on the teacher, but his trembling hand gave his distractions away. Contrary to this, Hikaru, who had gone to the nurse briefly to get his minor ankle injury bound, couldn't tear his eyes away from his younger brother.

"Kaoru," he said quietly, glancing briefly at the teacher. When the owner of the spoken name looked at him, Hikaru squeezed his hand gently.

"Nani desu ka?"

"I…didn't mean it. What I said last night. You're not a bad brother…I'm sorry." He averted his gaze nervously, missing the loyal smile Kaoru gave him.

"If…if you want to intrude in our lord's affairs with her, I won't…stop you," he said unsurely, his smile fading. He watched the teacher from the corner of his eye, then Haruhi, who appeared to not be paying attention. "I just won't help."

"I never meant to imply that you had to," Hikaru replied, his tone low. "And I'm an idiot, but I really don't…" He paused. "I'm not sure I'm still in love with-"

"Hitachiin-san, please pay attention!"

Both brothers jerked back in their chairs and laced their fingers on their desks, staring straight ahead, their posture perfect. Their eyes strayed to meet askance, and it was only when the instructor turned his back to them that they smirked at each other.

"You were saying?" Kaoru whispered.

"…it can wait, Brother."

(--)

The second their class ended, Tamaki caught up with the three 1-A students and wrapped them all in a hug so tight that Hikaru snarled. Haruhi blushed fiercely and struggled to separate herself from the three boys. Tamaki let them go.

"I heard what happened to you, my subjects and my darling daughter!" he simpered, kneeling on the floor and raising his palms dramatically. "Hikaru, how is your ankle? And Kaoru, how does-"

"Don't you have to go check on the costumes Nekozawa suggested for tomorrow's cosplay?" Kaoru growled at him. Tamaki got to his feet with a placid expression.

"Of course! I shall see you three later."

He wheeled around on his left heel and made for the opposite direction, moving stiffly as though trying to be silly. Kaoru watched him critically, and Hikaru shook his head.

"Our lord seems especially strange today."

"Yeah," Haruhi said distractedly. She cast Hikaru a side glance. "Um…I need to talk to him, though, so I'll go with him. See you guys."

Panicked, Kaoru opened his mouth to retaliate, but Hikaru's eyebrow raised inquiringly at his widened eyes and he was forced to bite his tongue. Weakly, he nodded at Haruhi.

"S-sure, go ahead…but aren't you going to be late for class?"

"It doesn't start until an hour from now, Kaoru, it's lunchtime," Haruhi said, her voice misty, as though she was amazed by this faint effort. "See you."

Helpless, Kaoru watched her catch up with Tamaki. He knew very well where the president of the Club was headed, and he knew he wasn't smart enough to figure out some alternate route.

"What was that about?" Hikaru asked, making Kaoru jump. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah! Just…" He rubbed the back of his head, mind reeling in search of an improvisation. "Thought you would've wanted her to hang out here instead of with him."

'That works.'

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Kaoru," Hikaru said uncertainly, gazing at the floor to his left as though entirely unsure where to look. "Can we sit somewhere?"

Kaoru backed against the wall and dropped, crossing his legs and staring up as his brother innocently. He'd not done it to be funny or weird, but Hikaru smiled and chuckled softly.

"Fine, you win." Sighing, he sat next to his brother, leaning back so his head pressed against the wall. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. Kaoru waited calmly. When he opened them again, Kaoru bumped into him lightly.

"Go on."

"Right. Well, on our date, Haruhi basically told me she wasn't…that she knew I had feelings for her. You too. But she hinted that she had feelings for Tono, and I guess I kind of…didn't…care."

Kaoru arched a brow curiously. "Why?"

Hikaru shrugged. "I dunno. I just wasn't really thinking about it. And when she said she might be developing feelings…and she wasn't beating around the bush, I really doubt she's acknowledged them yet…I just wasn't really focusing. I…don't think I love her anymore, Kaoru."

_Thump, thump, thump…_

"Seriously?" Kaoru inclined his head slightly. "After all that?"

"It might've been a phase, I dunno," Hikaru said. His voice was strained, as though he was withholding information. Kaoru was unperturbed by the fact the elder Hitachiin had yet to meet his eyes.

"So…" Kaoru averted his own gaze, hoping he didn't anger Hikaru. "…what happened with us last night…what was that about?"

Hikaru squirmed uneasily. "I didn't like how calm and defiant you were about the whole thing, I guess. You were willing to help me, and then you weren't, and then I didn't want you to, and-"

"Whoa, wait, hush." Kaoru clapped a hand over Hikaru's mouth, cocking a brow. Hikaru's breaths against his palm were quick and short. Hikaru finally met his gaze. "Caaaaalm. Seriously, I can't understand half of what you're saying."

Hikaru pulled Kaoru's hand from his mouth and inhaled sharply, narrowing his eyes.

"I think what I'm trying to say is that I hated how calm you were about me liking Haruhi."

Kaoru tilted his head again. "Why wouldn't I be? I gave her up for you, remember?"

Hikaru ran a hand through his dark hair. The dye made it feel unnatural beneath his hand; he eyed Kaoru's own ginger locks and bit back a scream of rage. _'Why?!'_

"I wasn't angry because I was jealous. I was angry because I was trying to be with Haruhi, and you were watching, and you weren't!"

"I wasn't angry, or jealous?" Kaoru said, lowering his voice in a small effort to get Hikaru to do the same. Hikaru clenched his fists, grinding his teeth in frustration.

"Either!"

"Hikaru," Kaoru murmured, placing a gentle hand on his brother's shoulder. He bowed his head to look his brother in the eye, and in response, Hikaru drew himself up as tall as his spine would allow, staring straight ahead with his lips drawn into a grim line. "If I gave up Haruhi for you, why would I have been jealous to see you two get together?"

_'I was.'_

"Not jealous of me, Kaoru," Hikaru said, relaxing and lowering his lashes in regret. "I wished…no, I hoped…that you'd see her and be jealous of…"

He trailed off at a bad time. As he opened his mouth to say the last word, Kaoru's gaze was torn away from him by a rush of small, pattering feet.

"Kao-chan!"

"Hunny-senpai?"

The twins looked up at Hunny as he approached, Usa-chan sitting on his shoulders like a child on a piggy-back ride. Mori stood over him, his eyes deeply annoyed.

"Nani kore?" Kaoru asked curiously. Hikaru remained silent, but stared into the gap between his crossed legs, flexing his fingers again.

"We have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Kaoru sighed, though the dropping sensation in his gut was a clear indication of the fears he felt prior to Hikaru's breakdown.

Hunny eyed Hikaru warily, then knelt beside Kaoru so he could whisper in his ear.

"Tama-chan brought Haru-chan into the math room."

Anxiously, Kaoru looked up into Mori's eyes. A curt nod made him bite back a groan.

_'Two down,'_ he thought bitterly. '_Two to go.'_

* * *


	10. Lord of Idiots

-grins-

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**Chapter 10: Lord of Idiots****  
**

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…!"

Each shout of the word was accompanied by a flying pink rabbit and a yelp from Tamaki. Hunny smashed him in the head repeatedly, his cheeks red with an angry blush, while the fallen 2-A student scrambled toward Haruhi frantically.

"Ow, ow, stop it!" he yelped. "I'm sorry, okay? I got distracted!"

Mori crossed his arms, staring down at Tamaki sternly and watching him get to his feet gingerly. Kaoru ran a troubled hand through his hair and huffed in frustration.

"Not an excuse. I have distractions coming at me from multiple sources. What're yours? Haruhi."

Tamaki remained silent, but blushed lightly, glancing apologetically at Haruhi.

The latter had Akatsuki tucked into the crook of her arm securely. Her index finger rubbed the kitten's chin. "You guys can't honestly think I'd tell Kyouya about this," she said broodingly. "I feel offended."

Tamaki shot up, his posture suddenly perfect, and gazed at Haruhi with exaggeratingly wide eyes.

"Oh, Haruhi! Do not be bothered by the words of your cruel older brother! It was…" Here he draped the back of his hand over his forehead and knelt before her dramatically, his lashes lowered. "…the fault of your father."

"That reminds me," Haruhi said thoughtfully, raising an index finger to her lips and looking towards Kaoru. Neglected, Tamaki curled up in a dark corner and hugged his knees. "Hikaru…he doesn't know either, does he? Is this why you wouldn't let him follow you to Nekozawa's room three days ago?"

"Yeah, basically. Much as I _wanted to_," he added as a growl, aiming the last two words at Tamaki with a particularly vicious glare. The president whimpered and curled into a tighter ball while Kaoru took a relaxing breath.

"So only Kyouya and Hikaru don't know. Okay, simple enough. Kyouya doesn't usually prod around where he doesn't suspect anything and everyone here can keep a secret," Haruhi murmured, mostly to herself. "The only problem is Hikaru. He's perceptive where Kaoru's concerned…might get suspicious about these secret meetings."

"Especially since he's always with at least one of you," Hunny said to the two lowerclassmen. Kaoru nodded while Haruhi put Akatsuki down gently.

"I don't need to come check on the kittens every time," she pointed out, "especially since Mori-senpai and Hunny-senpai can come check on them with Nekozawa-senpai without arousing suspicion."

"Kao-chan needs to keep an eye on Akatsuki though. She's his."

Nekozawa glanced up. Belzenev continued to dance in front of Yuhi while Tsuki stalked them both. "The charade won't hold out long. Suou-sama, you do have a tendency to unintentionally blurt secrets."

Tamaki's gaze met Haruhi's, and after a moment, they broke away, smiling and blushing slight. Haruhi spoke shyly. "Not…all the time."

"Tomorrow's Host Club will involve us all splitting up a bit. We're going to be doing a security and police cosplay, right? Pretending to patrol the school?" Tamaki said, speaking brightly to emphasize the subject change.

"Good point," Mori muttered. "We can take turns slipping into the Black Magic Club to check on them. If it's alright with you," he added, looking to Nekozawa.

"My club isn't meeting tomorrow," Nekozawa said distantly while Belzenev waved an indifferent paw. "So it's fine."

Exhausted, Kaoru sat, raising a hand to his forehead and entangling his fingers in his bangs. He let out a frustrated sigh, his eyes traveling to watch Usa-chan and Belzenev entertain the kittens.

"I can't stand keeping this from my brother," he murmured softly, refusing to meet Hunny or Haruhi's inquiring eyes. Instead, his gaze remained fixed on Akatsuki as she leapt at Usa-chan's long ears, claws out. He leaned into his palm, eyes troubled. "I don't want to tell him, but I'm not sure how much longer I can-"

"Kao-chan," Hunny said suddenly, letting go of Usa-chan. The rabbit fell forward and collapsed on top of Akatsuki, who squirmed away and leapt back, puffing up defiantly. She swiped at the pink head and got her claw tangled in the fur; Haruhi stifled a laugh as the clumsy kitten fell over, unbalanced.

"Nani?"

"The only person who really needs to stay clueless about this is Kyou-chan. Haru-chan and Tama-chan found out, Neko-kun knows…and I'm pretty sure some of the teachers know what we're up to."

Kaoru looked at him dully, his eyes dark. "What are you getting at?"

"He's saying," Tamaki explained quietly, "that none of us will be upset if you tell Hikaru about this. The one who can't find out is Mom."

"No one else poses a problem," Haruhi agreed, smiling sweetly. Kaoru almost returned the grin, but a rumbling distracted him. The floor shook slightly, and a high-pitched noise reached everyone's ears. Akatsuki and Yuhi began to cry; Tsuki crawled into the folds on Nekozawa's cloak to hide.

"Oh hohohohohohohohoho!"

"Well," Mori said, ruffling his hair in a bothered sort of way, "_almost_ no one else."

Renge rose from the ground, hands on her hips with a sly grin planted on her laughing mouth. Her long hair swayed behind her while the large bow in her hair bobbed with the momentum of the moving platform. Her dress spun around her when the stage stopped rotating.

"Well, well, well! What have we here? Five of the seven hosts, and the president of the Black Magic Club to boot!" Renge balled her hands into fists by her chest excitedly, eyes twinkling. "This is beautiful! A secret meeting to take care of one, two…three cats! How sweet! Trois petits chats!"

She pranced in place for a moment, giggling and obviously daydreaming. Kaoru bit back a string of offensive words, most of them involving the French girl's nature as an obsessive otaku.

"Renge-kun," Tamaki said, staring at her with wide eyes and blushing. He seemed too terrified of her sudden appearance to even attempt a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to locate the vast majority of my club's members, Tama-kun!" She pointed an index finger into the air, inclining her head. She spoke slowly, as if the six people watched her were children. Belzenev brandished tiny fists at her while an unhooded Nekozawa watched solemnly.

"Not fair! Not fair!" Hunny cried, tears building in his eyes. He clamped them shut and flailed his arms. "Renge-chan is gonna tell everyone! This was supposed to be a secret!"

Renge stopped daydreaming and frowned at him. "Now why would I tell the secret? Oh no, Hani-kun, I'm coming to see the kittens and I'll be as sneaky as a shinobi. 'course," she added, grinning and winking at Haruhi, "I'll want to watch my darling Haruhi-kun play with the kittens."

Haruhi and Tamaki exchanged glances of disgust while Kaoru shook his head, smirking. Hunny pulled Yuhi and Usa-chan into his lap.

"Just the seven of us then, maybe eight, depending on whether or not Kaoru wants to tell Hikaru," Nekozawa murmured. His voice had changed slightly, most likely in acknowledgement to Renge's unwelcome and disconcerting presence. Belzenev made a few gestures to drive Nekozawa's point home. "Ootori-san can't find out, nor can any of the customers to your club, or any members of mine."

"How many members does your club even have, Umehito-kun?" Renge questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Nekozawa ignored the interruption, unfazed. "I'll stay in here as long as necessary, and get Kuretake and Kadomatsu to do the same. You guys can't all be here at once, so I suggest the obvious pairs; Hani and Mori, Tamaki and Haruhi, and Kaoru either alone or with someone other than Haruhi. If you two go together," he elaborated, looking their way, "Hikaru will doubtlessly get bored and follow you."

"I'll do my best to keep the Host Club's customers from following, too," Renge suggested. "It is, after all, the least I can do."

"This is bothersome," Kaoru groaned. "It went from finding a wet cardboard box to becoming some sort of undercover cat-sitter."

Mori glanced at him worriedly. Hunny looked at the Hitachiin with widened eyes.

"Kao-chan, are you gonna quit?"

"Quit? Of course not!" Kaoru flashed a mischievous smile. "I haven't had this much fun in _weeks_."

* * *

Review please! They inspire me! :D


	11. Halloween Preparations

Mehhhhh, I hate this one. Sorry for the delay. I've become obsessed with Dream of Mirror Online and my writing attention has been diverted to THAT fic. XD

Oh yeah. Warning. Hikaru says the F Word.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Halloween Preparations**

The uninterrupted stream of secret cat-sitting continued for the rest of October and well into the preparations for the Halloween party. As if the grace and spirit of the felines had entered their bodies, five of the hosts, as well as their manager, couldn't seem to stop smiling. Off to the side, Kyouya stood scribbling in his notebook, his eyes lost behind the reflections shimmering off his glasses. To his left was Hikaru, who watched Kaoru chat animatedly with Haruhi and Tamaki as they lifted Hunny to hang plastic spiders over the drapes.

Kyouya pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose and lowered his book slightly, following Hikaru's gaze. A laughing Kaoru had Hunny raised far over his head, and the senior was flailing and shrieking amusingly. A long string of nonsensical analogies left his lips, involving werewolves and black cats. Neither Hikaru nor Kyouya understood, but Tamaki and Haruhi both doubled over in laughter, tears glimmering in their eyes, while Kaoru's arms shook with the effort of remaining supportive to Hunny's body.

"Any concerns?" Kyouya said quietly, looking down at Hikaru. Hikaru was silent for a moment before letting loose a soft sigh.

"I want to know what happened to cheer him up and still keep him away from me…but I'm thrilled to see him so happy for a change."

Kyouya nudged Hikaru's shoulder with his elbow, raising the notebook again. "I meant about the party."

"Oh. Um…not really, no. Are our costumes going to have themes?"

"Renge had a rather odd idea of holding a shounen-ai theme. Based off of cartoons and manga."

Hikaru looked up at the ebony eyes, startled. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, and to be honest, Tamaki and I didn't find it to be that bad of an idea. And it's going to be a gold mine for profits, too." Kyouya's eyes seemed to shine more brightly upon the last statement.

"…how?"

"Three words. Payment for suggestion. Our customers will…" He was cut off sharply; Tamaki had seen fit to tickle Haruhi to the point of her falling clumsily against Kaoru's legs. With a startled yelp, the younger Hitachiin collapsed, and Hunny landed on his stomach with a squeak. Off-balance, Tamaki fell into Haruhi and both landed across Kaoru's legs, squirming and groaning in pain.

Hunny was the first to burst into hysterical laughter, followed closely by Tamaki and Kaoru. Haruhi grumbled something that made Hunny pounce onto her like a cat, meowing loudly; she was pushed back and landed in Tamaki's arms. Both of them blushed; Hunny shot Kaoru a mischievous grin, and the latter winked knowingly.

"Did we miss something?" Hikaru complained, frowning and glancing at Kyouya with pained eyes. Kyouya shook his head and smiled slightly.

"Doubtful, but whenever one of the Hitachiins is involved, it's possible something's going on."

"Thanks," Hikaru scowled, turning back to watch Kaoru help Hunny to his feet. Mori didn't seem to be around, but his brother's smile kept his attention away from the senior. "So…what about suggestions?"

"The customers can pay to make suggestions for which series' we use. Majority wins. I already have quite a few ideas from Renge and a few other girls."

Hikaru quirked a brow, not really paying attention. "Such as…?"

"Amaya Haruno, Youji Yoshinori, and Midori and Suki Akiyama voted for you and Kaoru to be "Loveless" characters, and for Tamaki and I to play Light Yagami and L from "Death Note." Akira Hayate and Kaori Noriaki both thought of Hunny and Mori as Daisuke and Dark from "DNAngel," but Sakura Hayashii-"

"Sakura Hayashii?" Hikaru murmured, slightly amused. "That stupid girl from class 1-C?"

"…she's one of Haruhi's customers. Anyway, she retaliated saying Hunny should be With and sit on Mori's shoulders."

"That'd take the shounen-ai thing away from our ploys, though," Hikaru told him, inclining his head thoughtfully. Mori was back, and Hunny was now perched on his shoulders, and Usa-chan on his. Kaoru was having a small but animated discussion with Renge, who seemed to be taking his measurements. Tamaki and Haruhi had vanished.

"You wouldn't believe how angry Hana Tsukino and the Akiyama sisters were to hear that. They claimed Usa-chan should be With."

Hikaru burst into laughter, so suddenly that Hunny screamed and nearly fell off Mori's shoulders. Eyes watering, he clutched his cousin's shoulder and whimpered. Mori and Kaoru sent inquiring glances Hikaru's way, and Renge tutted softly, chasing Kaoru with a strip of measuring tape as he shifted his weight to his other leg. Hikaru stood up straight, lower lip quivering as he forced himself into silence.

After a moment, the seniors went back to work. It took a little longer for Kaoru to run a hand through his orange hair and grin, shaking his head in amusement at his brother's antics. He went back to arranging pumpkins along the far wall.

"Very smooth."

"Shut up. So…the Akiyama sisters and Tsukinori-"

"Not Tsukinori, that boy drives me insane," Kyouya grumbled. "I mean Tsukino, the senior in Mori and Hunny's class."

"Whatever! They said Mori, Hunny, and the…stuffed doll…should be Daisuke, Dark, and With…that sounds good…but who in their right mind would put our lord as Kira?"

"Not sure, but most of our customers screamed in delight at the idea. Gave me a headache. I guess they sound alike or something. Moving on…Haruhi, and you and your brother."

"Haruhi and Tono are getting kind of serious…she should be Misa Misa."

A shudder ran through Kyouya's body, and Hikaru looked up curiously. Kyouya's expression was a combination of a grimace and a scowl.

"No. Absolutely not. That girl dresses so skimpily that it's embarrassing for girls, let alone girls pretending to be guys."

Hikaru flushed. "You're right, sorry. What about…one of the twins from DNAngel? Riku maybe? Or she can be some random virgin from Loveless…I know tons of girls who would love to see her as 'Neko-Shoujo.'"

"Riku's a decent suggestion, but a lot of the girls who were for Loveless were offering advice for the fan-based pairing between Ritsuka and Seimei…virgin brothers, tied by an unbreakable bond...for you and Kaoru."

"No fair," Hikaru muttered. Kaoru had gone to the doorway to exchange words with Haruhi, who shot Hikaru and Kyouya a quick glance. After a moment, Kaoru put a hand on her shoulder as if in gratitude and left, darting down the hall. Haruhi began to carve eyes and mouths out of pumpkins. Hikaru's gaze turned to the ground. "That's not fair."

"Why, because it's non-canon?"

Hikaru started, his eyes suddenly forced back to Kyouya. His mind reeled.

"No, because Seimei's dead!"

"I _did_ say it was a fan pairing," Kyouya muttered in his defense, frowning at the now-brooding Hitachiin.

"I like the Death Note and DNAngel parodies, and I really would love to see Haruhi play Yuiko or something from Loveless, but I'd rather not do a fan-based shounen-ai pairing with Kaoru. Not that I'd want to play Soubi…" He shuddered. "Frickin' pedophile."

"Do what you want," Kyouya shrugged. "All I know is, if we don't do something, either you or the two Phantom Thieves over there…" He nodded towards Hunny and Mori. "…are going to play Ayase and Kanou from Okane ga Nai."

Hikaru jumped away, eyes wide open and his palms held out defensively. His jaw dropped.

"Woah! No, hell no, fuck no, absolutely no fucking way!"

"Can we keep the swearing down?" Renge complained loudly, glaring at Hikaru. Kyouya ignored her and pushed his glasses further up on his nose, writing in his notebook frantically. Hikaru flushed.

"Why?"

"_SO_ uncute. And where did Kaoru run off to? Is he…wait, scratch that." She raised her pen in the air and walked toward Mori. "Mori-kun. Are you guys planning on having candles burning inside the Jack-o-Lanterns or no?"

Hikaru was quiet, staring at her, then Kyouya, in a state of silent contemplation. Kaoru gone, without him paying attention? Where the hell did the Hosts keep vanishing?

"Oi, Tono no doko desu ka?"

Haruhi and Renge looked up at him.

"Talking to Nekozawa-senpai about some sort of series of spook-factors."

"…I honestly have no idea what you just said," Hikaru said, staring at the otaku, dumbfounded.

"A mini fear-trial. Commoners do it, y'know." Haruhi frowned at her, but she continued. "We figured Nekozawa could help with the scary things at the party and everyone else just helps the fun stuff. Nekozawa did win the fear trial last year with little effort."

"Still, bits and pieces can come from us too," Haruhi said. Hikaru wasn't the idiot he often appeared to be; he was perceptive enough to pick up on how subtly she'd changed the subject. Looking at Kyouya askance, he could tell that he wasn't the only one. "We all need to pitch in, unlike those Ouran festivals."

"Okay, fine. I'll talk to Kaoru about the Seimei and Ritsuka slash cosplay then. See you guys in a bit."

It was mostly a test to see Haruhi's reaction. His curiosity was increased, and his suspicions confirmed, by Haruhi's mouth opening a little. Her eyes widened very slightly, and Hikaru could sense that Hunny and Mori had slowed their work to listen in. Renge stared conspicuously, toying with a lock of her hair.

"Okay," Haruhi said. "Um…they're…Kaoru is probably with Tamaki-senpai and Nekozawa-senpai somewhere, so…I guess you can go-"

"Wasn't really asking permission," Hikaru snuck in, smiling slyly at her. She blushed, obviously unperturbed. Hikaru pushed past her, the sound of Kyouya's pen scratching against his notebook loud in his ears. He was positive the 2-A student was highly suspicious too, but…feh, it'd be boring to go with anyone but Kaoru.

* * *

Revieeeeeeeeew.


	12. Doubtful Commitment

Here's chapter 12. I give Tamaki some time in because Kyouya and Hikaru shared a moment, so I thought I'd worship my second favourite non-canon pairing for a bit. No, first isn't KyouHika. If you want to see my favourite non-canon pairing, check out A Reward for Selflessness.

I know I take artistic liberties with Nekozawa, but...meh. This takes place directly after Hikaru leaves the preparations in the 3rd floor music room. Enjoy. And REVIEW, DAMNIT.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Doubtful Commitment  
**

Tsuki's tiny fangs clamped over a twitching brown ear and made Yuhi squeak. Distracted, he turned from batting at Akatsuki's whipping tail and pounced on the black and white offender. Both tumbled back, squealing and letting out playfully hisses. Nekozawa put his finger over their heads, and before long, they were after him instead.

Akatsuki, nestled in Kaoru's lap, took the opportunity to wrap her tail around her legs tightly. She regarded her brothers' play with dignity, holding her head high, but the long finger that reached down to rub her chin diverted her attention. Comforted, she closed her eyes and leaned into Kaoru's touch, purring softly. Tamaki smiled.

"Can't tell you how grateful I am to you, y'know," he said. Nekozawa was respectful enough to remain silent, and continued to play with Tsuki and Yuhi while Kaoru glanced up at Tamaki's warm eyes.

"What for, milord?"

"You know what for." Tamaki's face was overflowing with meaning; his eyes showed gratitude, his smile showed loyalty, and his blush was a clear indicator of how much joy flowed through him. Kaoru returned the smile almost shyly.

"I really didn't do anything," he murmured, looking down at the smile on his kitten's face. "I'm the voice of reason, not the push in the right direction."

"Aren't they the same thing?"

"In Hikaru's case? Not even close."

Tamaki looked down at Akatsuki fondly, reaching out to scratch her behind the ears. At the foreign touch, her eyes opened and she stared at Tamaki curiously. After a moment, her ear tilted back and she swiped at his fingers.

"She's so cute," Tamaki sighed.

"You don't mean Akatsuki, do you?" Kaoru nudged playfully, and Tamaki laughed.

"Not really. Took me long enough to admit to myself I liked Haruhi. I never would have even thought about the possibility of her liking me back until you told me to get a move on."

Kaoru winced, his smile vanishing. "Don't mention that. I feel like a traitor to Hikaru by doing that. But…he did say he wasn't sure if he was in love with…not that I wanted him to be, because I want him to…" He trailed off of the uneven path, thinking. A moment after speaking, he almost blushed; he hadn't really considered the impact of the words until they had reached his own ears.

Tamaki kept his smirk lowered, away from Kaoru's gaze. He allowed the younger boy a few minutes of silence, and instead turned his attention to Akatsuki, who had her paw on his hand. Her claws were slipping in and out of delicate pads as if she were stroking him. Her eyes were squinting, which made her smile much more adorable. She smushed her head into the palm of Kaoru's motionless hand, seeking attention.

"When are you going to tell Hikaru?" Tamaki said quietly.

"I'm still not sure I want to," Kaoru replied, rubbing the soft spot behind Akatsuki's left ear. "I rather like having her to myself, and keeping the three kittens a secret is a rush that I really-"

"Kaoru," Tamaki interrupted, his tone more serious. When the Hitachiin looked at him, Tamaki bowed his head insistently. "I mean, when are you going to _tell_ Hikaru?"

Kaoru averted his gaze quickly, a blush creeping over pale cheeks. To his left, Nekozawa looked up, solemn, but curious. Kaoru was unnerved by his presence.

"I can't…I mean, I don't understand what you're talking about, Tamaki."

_'Slip of the tongue. Damn it. Please don't let him pick up on-'_

"Tamaki? What happened to 'Tono,' hm?" His smile was wry and victorious, but still friendly. Kaoru's blush was so evident that it embarrassed him; he wanted to cry. Biting his lip, his flicked his gaze back to his senpai. Tamaki seemed to have sensed Kaoru's discomfort, because his smile was more gentle now, his eyes warm. "No need to be so pink. You're talking to the one who fell in love with a girl before he even knew she was a female."

"Pointing out your idiocy doesn't diminish mine," Kaoru retorted defensively. Tamaki's smile didn't flicker at all.

"Nope, but idiocy can help you in the long run. Something the stupid things, those bizarre little quirks, help you love someone even more."

"No wonder…" Kaoru murmured softly, then broke off and fell silent. He lowered his gaze to Akatsuki. The tip of her tail waved back and forth slowly, mesmerizing him and distracting him momentarily. When he spoke next, it was with renewed confidence in his well thought-out words. "Haruhi's ability to put up with you astonishes even Kyouya."

"I think she does more than put up with him," Nekozawa said sullenly. Belzenev tickled Tsuki behind the ear. "What I don't understand is how you, Kaoru-kouhai, can spend so much time with Hikaru and still be in denial when someone even as slow as Suou-san can point it out."

"Gee, thanks," Tamaki said dryly, glancing indifferently at Nekozawa just in time to miss the next wave of blood rushing into Kaoru's cheeks.

"I always suspected it, you know," Nekozawa continued, glancing up at Kaoru with piercing blue eyes. Belzenev looked up silently. "My suspicions were confirmed when you came to tell me about the cats and didn't press the issue about your brother. I'm heliophobic, Kaoru, not homophobic. Your blush was obvious."

"How many other people know, do you think?" Kaoru muttered uneasily. His left hand nestled so close to Akatsuki's throat that she wrapped her paws around it and chewed his fingers, pummeling the back of his hand with her hind legs. The claws made tiny scratches against his flesh; when he moved to draw his hand away, she dug her claws in fiercely. Tamaki put his hand over Kaoru's to distract her so the younger student could pull away to nurse his wounds.

"Approximately? Or names?"

"Names, please." Kaoru's voice trembled, his eyes misty. Tamaki and Nekozawa shared a glance until Umehito looked away, moving his hand like a spider so Yuhi and Tsuki could tackle it. Tamaki tried to meet Kaoru's eyes, but they were hidden beneath lowered lashes.

"Haruhi and I know, and I'm pretty sure Kyouya does too. Mori-senpai and Hunny-senpai almost definitely know. Renge might know, but she's still partially under the impression that both of you like Haruhi. I'm fairly positive the only hints the customers picked up on were disregarded as Club activity."

"And obviously, I know," Nekozawa added unnecessarily. "As far as we can be sure, however-"

"Hikaru doesn't know," Tamaki finished. Kaoru finally looked up; Tamaki withdrew his hand from Akatsuki's clutches. She leapt from Kaoru's lap, ignoring the fingers the Hitachiin had stretched out to her in vain, and pounced on Tsuki, causing both to yowl playfully. Kaoru watched.

"So the club and maybe Renge." Kaoru blinked and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, hope returning to his eyes, along with something else entirely. "That's not so bad. The only real problem is that I'm in _love_ with my _twin brother_!" He leapt to his feet upon the last words, which were shouted, his tone changing as fast as his attitude. He glared down at Tamaki, panting softly from the overflow of negative emotions, while his senpai stared up at him with only the smallest amount of shock in his eyes. Nekozawa didn't acknowledge the outburst, but all three kittens froze and stared at Kaoru silently.

Tamaki had known both twins long enough to tell what their emotions were; behind Kaoru's narrowed, golden eyes, there was a firm layer of sorrow that threatened to spill over. His fists were clenched and trembling. Tamaki's mind worked fast, and he remained still, waiting to see if Kaoru would continue yelling, run away, or – and Tamaki feared this immensely - fall to his knees and break down into tears.

After a few moments of Kaoru's irregular panting and Tamaki's even breaths, the former let out a sharp huff. He collapsed onto the ground, his legs splayed beneath him, and pressed his hands against his eyes in a struggle for internal stability. He said nothing for a while. Then:

"Even if I tell him," he whispered, his voice so soft that Tamaki leaned in slightly to hear it, "it'll be a miracle if he doesn't turn on me, let alone return my feelings. It's unnatural in too many ways, and it's just what our customers say…taboo. Forbidden love. It's just not…"

He was cut off by a gentle hand on his shoulder and he looked up, startled, dropping his hands. Tamaki's violet eyes were incredibly warm and trustworthy.

"You're twins," Tamaki said, his voice even and honest. "If something like this breaks you apart forever, there's absolutely no hope for the rest of us."

"But," Kaoru said in a nervous undertone, allowing Tamaki to help him to his feet carefully, "how am I supposed to confess something like this to him? And don't use you and Haruhi as an example," he tossed in with a stern glare that almost made Tamaki laugh. "Because that's an entirely different thing."

Tamaki put his arm around Kaoru's shoulders comfortingly and walked him to the door.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Kaoru," he said, reaching for the door-handle. "There's no rush to do it, and these things have ways of working themselves out."

Upon pulling open the door and stepping back, Tamaki jumped to avoid the boy that collapsed onto the ground, unbalanced from the lack of support previously provided by the door. Kaoru stared down, his eyes huge with disbelief, as Hikaru groaned and moved into sitting position, rubbing his head. When the elder Hitachiin looked up to meet his brother's eyes, his cheeks turned redder than Kaoru's.

"Oh," he muttered weakly. "…hey, guys."

* * *

As Hunny said earlier, bust-eddddd.


	13. Fool Me Twice

I forgot how hard this one was to write. XD It had so many different versions. All the gems on the cutting room floor...

* * *

**Chapter 13: Fool Me Twice  
**

Any hopes the three cat-sitters might have had of concealing the kittens before they caught Hikaru's attention were rendered moot immediately. With excited mewls, all three kittens bounded onto Hikaru; Akatsuki climbed up the back of his shirt and snuffled into his hair, while Tsuki and Yuhi sniffed and licked his hands curiously. Tamaki was rubbing the back of his head, watching Hikaru playing unsurely with the kittens, while Nekozawa and Belzenev brooded in the corner.

Kaoru watched Akatsuki with an expression of the deepest solemnity darkening his gold eyes. Hikaru seemed afraid to share a glance with him, but had no choice but to look up, terrified, as Nekozawa moved to tower over him, Belzenev gesturing menacingly. Beneath shadows and dark bangs, Nekozawa's eyes glimmered.

"Hitachiin-kouhai, were you eavesdropping?" he hissed, and Tamaki shivered, backing away. Hikaru's eyes widened.

"I wasn't dropping anything, I swear!" he yelped, scrambling backwards to get away. His palm pressed Akatsuki's paw to the ground heavily and she squealed in pain. Shocked, Hikaru lifted his hand and glanced back at her. Spitting furiously, Akatsuki bounced away from him, her tail puffy and her ears back. She stopped bouncing near Kaoru's foot and, after a moment in which she looked around thoughtfully, pounced on his pant leg and climbed onto his shoulder. Kaoru crossed his arms and looked down at his brother as though he were disappointed. Akatsuki flopped onto his shoulder and hung like a scarf, her tail dangling over his shoulder blade.

"S-sorry, kitty," Hikaru stammered, unable to think straight. Nekozawa continued to stand over him, moving closer slowly. "Um…so, Tama…Tono!" Hikaru met his eyes pleadingly, and Tamaki nodded at Nekozawa, who lowered his hood and backed off a little.

Hikaru's weak murmurs of gratitude were interrupted.

"So what were you doing leaning with your ear to the door if you weren't eavesdropping?"

The Black Magic Club's president was speaking in his regular tone, his voice accusatory. It didn't help Hikaru's blush in the least. He got to his feet and stared defiantly at Nekozawa, still avoiding Kaoru's direct gaze. The latter's expression had softened. Akatsuki nipped at his ear affectionately, but he paid her no heed. Tamaki sent a glance his way anxiously; Kaoru suddenly seemed hurt by his brother's refusal to meet his eyes.

"I wasn't. I was just about to knock and they opened the door."

"Something tells me you wouldn't fall over if the surface you were about to knock on moved," Tamaki said coolly. "Not unless you were leaning against it, and the fact that you fell shoulder-first indicates that."

Hikaru didn't respond. Tamaki's eyes were locked with his, but the former was quick enough to catch the swift movement of amber eyes towards Kaoru. The air seemed to hum in the brief moment the twins' eyes met. The younger of the two blinked and looked away as though ashamed, and Hikaru faltered slightly. The fingers on his left hand twitched.

"Thought so," Nekozawa muttered. He seemed almost offended; Belzenev was hanging loosely by his hip, his hand immobile. Tamaki shifted his weight to his other foot in discomfort, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"So…I guess Kyouya's the only one who doesn't know about the kittens now, hm?"

"How long have you been keeping them?" Hikaru asked him quietly. "I did suspect, you know. Kaoru's had cat scratches all over his arms for a month."

"I think he's had them about a month," Tamaki said. "Mori and Hunny were in on it, then I found out, then-"

"You led Haruhi straight to them," Hikaru said, eyes widening in realization. "That's why Kaoru was so intent on keeping Haruhi with us two weeks ago, right?" He glanced to Kaoru for confirmation, but got no response.

"Renge found out the same day Haruhi did," Nekozawa said, a bit more loudly than necessary. He succeeded in gaining Hikaru's attention again, and when he was sure his brother wasn't looking, Kaoru cast Nekozawa a grateful glance.

"When did you?"

"The day after Kaoru discovered the kittens, Hunny brought Yuhi (he indicated the brown-eared tom pouncing on Hikaru's feet) into school in his backpack. Kaoru came to me during club hours to ask me to cat-sit during school."

"This was the day we did the American punk cosplay," Tamaki murmured.

Hikaru's world froze. His eyes shot open, his heart pounding heavily in his chest like a native drum. His mind worked incredibly fast, flooding his inner eye with images that tore at his heart like jagged blades in flesh.

**_Does that make me a bad person? _**

_No. It just makes you a bad brother. _

_Kaoru! _

**_Hikaru?! _**

_What the hell were you doing in the road? _

**_Do you always have to play the hero? _**

_For you. _

**_I won't stop you…I just won't help. _**

_Gomenasai…_

**_What happened with us last night? _**

_I didn't want you to be jealous of me having her…I wanted you to be jealous of her having…_

Hikaru stood up completely straight, suddenly blushing fiercely. '_That's it!'_

"Hikaru?"

Tamaki's voice jolted him out of his thoughts. Hikaru jumped slightly, bringing his gaze up slowly and meeting his eyes.

"You can't tell Kyouya. As of now, all the Hosts, Renge-kun, and Nekozawa-san know about the kittens. Kyouya will make us get rid of them. Tsuki and Yuhi are Mori and Hunny's. Akatsuki is-"

"Kaoru's." Hikaru glanced at his brother, who was staring back from his left eye only, his head bowed, his expression unreadable. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Kaoru considered to stare, his gaze on Hikaru introspective and analyzing in way that almost seemed accusatory. "There was only one Akatsuki. I wanted her for myself." He tilted his head back slightly, turning only so his other eye could focus too. "Jealous?"

"Not of you," Hikaru said quietly. "Of her."

Kaoru said nothing for a moment; then, he, very slowly, he turned toward his brother to meet his eyes to the fullest effect. His eyes entirely lost their pensive coldness.

"What?"

"…nothing. I won't take her from you."

Hikaru felt his brother's sudden jolt of pain as he turned away from the three cat keepers and headed back towards the door. "Won't tell Kyouya either," he added, his voice cracking slightly as Kaoru let out a shaky breath behind him. "I promise."

"Thank you," Tamaki said, while Nekozawa gave Kaoru a sympathetically forlorn glance; the despondent Hitachiin missed it entirely, watching Hikaru close the door and block himself from view. Akatsuki licked his cheek, her ears back as a symbol of loyalty. Without a word, Kaoru picked her up by the scruff of her neck and placed her on the floor beside Tsuki and Yuhi. He didn't get up immediately. He remained still, kneeling, watching Akatsuki run to her brothers and greet them. Tsuki began to groom her face while Yuhi bumped their shoulders together.

"Kaoru?" Tamaki said weakly, attracting Kaoru's attention.

"I'm fine," he answered listlessly, rising. "I'm going to go back to the music room before Kyouya gets suspicious. The party's tomorrow and we still need to get costumes together." He bade them farewell and left, despite Tamaki's stammered requests for him to wait, and Nekozawa's unreadable gaze.

In the hallway, Kaoru hesitated, leaning his back against the door and glancing up thoughtfully. His mind was flooded with images that he tried to sort out, but to no avail. Frustrated, he leaned the back of his head against the solid door and closed his eyes, letting out a soothing breath.

He drew in sharply seconds later, his eyes snapping open in shock; warm, soft lips pressed against his, sending both chills and waves of warmth down his spine. He felt cold, but the blood rushing through him boiled captivatingly. Caught off guard, he remained still. When the offender broke away, his eyelids fluttered open to reveal eyes that Kaoru saw in the mirror every morning, the same brownish-gold as his own, both of which were cast into shadow by black bangs. Both twins panted softly, neither having been prepared for the oxygen cut off from them.

"I'm jealous of Akatsuki because she laid claim to you," Hikaru said, his voice soft and trustworthy. Kaoru stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes, more hopeful than anything. "I guess I lose."

Kaoru didn't respond. Hikaru smiled in adoration, his eyes glimmering with nothing less than the purest love, the kind that was spawned by natural affection and not lust. His mind flashed back to what he'd intended to admit to his brother two weeks before:

I didn't want you to be jealous of me having her…I wanted you to be jealous of her having…

_'Me.'_

* * *

Mushy corny gooeyness. -gag- XD


	14. Happy Halloween!

I wasn't that proud of this one, so I'll post it early. Again, I declare a minor tribute to Mamoru Miyano. :D

I want to thank that anonymous reviewer that's followed me through every chapter. :3 And in answer to your question, yes, Hikaru knows, because he was eavesdropping on the conversation between Kaoru, Nekozawa, and Tamaki in chapter 12.

Sorry if I mention characters you don't recognize as the costumes. There are tons of original characters in the chapter, just as customers of the club. Nothing special to remember, just space fillers. Anyway. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 14: Happy Halloween!  
**

Despite the fact that some of the more heavily obsessive manga fans were a bit agitated at the fan-based pairing portrayed by the twins, most of the costumes were a huge hit. Tamaki was dressed as Light Yagami, his hair dyed a shade of dark amber and contacts altering his eyes, turning them from their normal violet into a caramelized shade of brown.

Kyouya stood as L, handcuffed to Tamaki and absolutely refusing to hunch over. He was wearing appropriate clothes consisting of a white sweatshirt and jeans, but no shoes. He was holding his regular black notebook, but Renge had gone through great pains to write "Death Note" on the cover in white letters; the perfection of it only further exaggerated her obsession. Kyouya's eyes were lined heavily with charcoal.

Hunny stood beside Mori, his hair dyed crimson, and Usa-chan had been bleached white (he kept glancing down at his rabbit unhappily, rubbing at the fur with a thumb; he seemed satisfied when some of the dye came off and exposed pink) to better fit With's natural colour. Mori stood tall, his eyes and hair the same unnatural shade of dark purple. He had a hand on "Daisuke Niwa's" shoulder and the girls around him commented on how he was perfect for Dark. Hunny seemed especially affectionate towards his cousin.

Haruhi was disgruntled; yellow ribbons adorned her brown hair, and she was wearing a girl's school uniform. She had complained all day about the placement of her character as the Haruhi from "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya," but the twins retaliated with offers of making her learn the Hare Hare Yukai dance. When she continued to protest, Kyouya's mention of bunny ears made her shut up. She'd been sulking for hours.

Kaoru had stolen Hikaru's dye and used it. Their hair was the same dark, almost-black shade of ash, and both had adorned soft black cat ears and tails, which seemed to move according to their moods. They also wore collars, which connected them by a long iron chain. Renge, who had her long golden hair plaited back in a long braid and wore a long metal glove on her right hand, had spent the two hours before the party attempting to acquiesce as to the twins' desires for a shorter chain. Due to her failure, the Hitachiin brothers, as Seimei and Ritsuka, took to tightly holding hands when she and Kyouya weren't looking. Tamaki broke out of his character by grinning widely when he saw them doing it; it was when Kyouya smacked him in the back of the head with his notebook that the Death Note actors finally headed away from the twins and began to help Haruhi organize the games.

"What's this one?" Tamaki muttered to her curiously, examining a bowl of grapes in the fridge beside them.

"They feel like eyes," Haruhi shrugged. "They're aids for scary stories. We're going to turn out all the lights and blindfold everyone but the hosts, and pass around the bowls. We've also got spaghetti, raw meat, the juice we strained from the meat…"

Kyouya nodded. "Seems like an interesting game. Who's telling stories? Not Nekozawa, I hope." Tamaki grinned, and Haruhi chuckled softly.

"Nah, Tamaki is. He's the only character here that's scary anyway…well, even though Renge as Edward Elric kind of freaks some of the customers out."

"I heard that!" Renge complained, causing several of the girls nearby to burst into fits of giggles. One of them edged towards Tamaki, blushing and glancing at him in adoration. He bowed, the smile on his lips both seductive and menacing.

"Hello, miss. Who might you be?"

She blushed more deeply. "Forgive me, but I won't give out my name to anyone…not with Kira still at large."

"Light" scowled, inclining his head slightly as though he were listening to someone speaking in his ear. A group was forming around them, obviously aware of the role-play going on.

Ritsuka and Seimei passed on either side of Light, a snarky remark escaping from Seimei's lips, followed by a laugh from Ritsuka; the chain connecting them caught at Light's chest and pulled him back. He stumbled awkwardly, growling. When the brothers stopped, Ritsuka leaned his arm against Seimei for support, his left ear tilting back and his tail swishing as if a direct indicator of his amusement. Seimei rolled his eyes, wrapping an arm around his brother's waist.

"You're supposed to be smart, right? Well, I guess that doesn't mean you know how to stay upright…perhaps not your fault."

Light snarled angrily and snatched the Death Note from L's hands, and in the same movement, snapped open the handcuffs. When L's eyes widened in realization, he suddenly clutched his heart, choking. Girls around him screamed as he collapsed. Light smirked darkly, scribbling into the notebook while Ritsuka laid his ears back, moving a hand nervously down to Seimei's and squeezing gently.

"I win, Seimei," Light said forebodingly.

Less than a minute later, a blade erupted from Seimei's chest with a horrific squelching noise. Ritsuka screamed and caught him before he fell. Behind the brothers, Itachi Uchiha gave a low chuckle and pulled his sword free from Seimei's chest, his red eyes glimmering maliciously. He left swiftly, his black and red cloak swishing silently behind him.

Ritsuka knelt, supporting his brother weakly, his ears pressed back against his skull. Blood soaked through his white shirt while still gushing forth from the wound in Seimei's chest. Weakly, amber eyes opened to look at Ritsuka with an expression of helpless, but defiant, defeat.

"Ritsu-chan," Seimei gasped breathlessly, his ears drooping as he grimaced; he pressed a hand to his open chest in pain and Ritsuka's ears tulipped forward.

"Seimei! What do I do?!" he whimpered, his eyes as determined as they were terrified.

"There's nothing to be done," Seimei murmured softly, his eyes hopeless and loving. Tears gathered in Ritsuka's eyes and fell into Seimei's black hair as he pulled his dying brother to his chest. "So it was written, so it shall be."

"Niichan, don't leave me…" Ritsuka whimpered, burying his face in his brother's hair and crying softly.

"I'm sorry, my brother," Seimei whispered, closing his eyes. "Be strong…"

_"NIICHAN!"_

On the ground, Kyouya opened one heavily made-up eye to watch as Kaoru cradled his "dead" brother in shaking arms. Tamaki looked a little unsure, his God-complex act thrown off by his empathy for the younger Hitachiin's act. Around them, students attending the party were comforting each other, each shivering from the role-play. Tamaki's evil performance and Hikaru's arrogant behavior, Kyouya's death and Kaoru's anguished cries…through all the screaming, crying, chattering, and protesting, Haruhi coughed meaningfully.

Hikaru and Kaoru leapt to their feet, the former pulling a dripping blood-pack from inside of his jacket while Kaoru wiped tears away with the back of his hand. Tamaki helped Kyouya to his feet and returned the notebook, both of them bowing. Girls squealed around them, and even most of the guys cheered. Unneeded, Mori and Hunny stood by, watching, while "Itachi" appeared behind them and whispered about returning to the kittens.

"That was really cool!" Youji Yoshinori yelped. He looked at Kyouya. "You were so cool, faking that heart attack. Did you see Haruhi-kun's face? And _you_ made my girlfriend cry," he added, shooting a glare at Tamaki.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Sakura Hayashii said, pushing past Hunny with the Akiyama sisters and Hana Tsukino trailing her. All four of them were grinning. "Tamaki, you sounded just like Light Yagami. That was so cool!"

"The twins did the best," Suki announced, raising a hand pointedly. "Kaoru, Hikaru, that was so romantic…so beautiful! Nice job."

"Where's Nekozawa?" Hana asked, looking around curiously. "Itachi? That's SO sweet. It fits him so well…so dark and mysterious." She shivered slightly; Suki and Midori laughed, glancing at the twins, who were wiping fake blood from their clothes.

"No idea where he was, but he could've been a little more gentle with the blade," Hikaru grumbled, causing Kaoru to snicker softly. "I get that it just went between my ribs and my arm, but he had it angled the wrong way."

Kaoru's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "You okay?" Hikaru gazed back at his brother anxiously and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Want to go tell Uchiha-san that his performance was good?"

"YES!" Hunny squealed, hugging Usa-chan to his chest. Mori murmured his desires to accompany them, so the four bade the others good-bye and trotted down the hallway. Hunny glanced behind him uneasily.

"Daijobou desu ka?" Mori muttered.

"I feel like we're being followed."

"It's just because it's Halloween," Hikaru shrugged. "Everything feels kinda creepy and distorted."

"If you say so," Hunny whispered, forcing his eyes back to their destination. Kaoru watched him for a moment. Nekozawa was already waiting for them by the door.

"Didn't cut too deep, did I, _Seimei_?" he mused. Hikaru scowled, but the others laughed. An excited mewl reached Mori's ears and Tsuki bolted toward him, squeaking every time he bounced off the floor. Hunny laughed louder as the kitten dug his claws into Mori's pants and scaled his leg; by the time the black and white kitten was on Mori's shoulder, he was already sniffing at the hair. The dye made him sneeze, and the force made him topple from the human's shoulder. He flailed frantically, trying to cling to Mori's shirt, but Hikaru caught him and put him back on the floor.

"Stupid thing," he chuckled. Akatsuki and Yuhi approached curiously, raising their noses to sniff at the air. Hikaru saw them and cocked an eyebrow. "So, Kaoru, which one's yours?"

Kaoru picked Akatsuki up gently and cradled her in the crook of his arm. Hikaru moved to scratch the top of her head, then paused and drew his hand back hesitantly, watching for Kaoru's reaction.

"Well, don't tease her," Kaoru pressed. Hikaru smiled gratefully and pet her while Nekozawa ushered them inside.

"So, since you two know about her now, are you gonna take her home with you every night instead of leaving them with Mori?"

"No," Kaoru murmured. "They're still young. They need to stick together."

"I'm sharing Yuhi with Haruhi now," Hunny admitted sheepishly.

"Tamaki and I have joined custody of Tsuki, too," Mori agreed. "But we can't keep them separate, and have to keep bringing them in because they can't stay at my house all the time. Satoshi has a slight allergy."

"So we'll just keep this going until they're old enough," Kaoru suggested, "and then find-"

_Tap, tap, tap._

They froze, watching the door. Whoever it was knocked again, and Nekozawa hissed at them to get behind the black velvet curtains lining the walls. Mori was quick enough to snatch Tsuki from the ground as he started to bound for the door to greet the guest that started to push it open; Hunny wasn't. Yuhi mewled happily and pawed at the bare feet while Hunny stood below the intruder, swallowing hard and looking into made-up, ebony eyes nervously.

"Now how long has this been going on?"

Kyouya's voice was so cool and quiet that the air seemed to waver around them. He clicked the light on and watched his senpai with an expression that was just plain evil. Hunny grabbed Yuhi and held him closely, as if he were afraid Kyouya might kick him across the room. Usa-chan was discarded by the velvet drapes, and Kyouya strode across the room to rip it back, exposing the four humans and three cats. Nekozawa hissed and ducked behind Kaoru, who self-consciously stroked Akatsuki's paws and glanced at Hikaru.

"Get off the babysitter," Hikaru whispered defeatedly into his brother's ear. "Daddy's home."

* * *

I love that last part. XD


	15. Listen To Your Mother

Last real chapter before epilogue. Once more I take artistic liberties with Umehito Nekozawa. Deal with it. XD

* * *

**Chapter 15: Listen to Your Mother**

"Put him down, Kyouya! Let him go or…Takashi, put me down!"

Mori was holding his flailing cousin a few feet off the ground, ignoring the flapping arms and keeping his grim eyes set on Kyouya. The 2-A student had Yuhi dangling from his left hand, mewling and unable to move. Kyouya set him back on the ground and released the scruff of his neck. He snapped the second metal circle of L's handcuffs closed around the orange kitten's neck. It fit as a perfect collar, same as Tsuki, who was shackled in the other loop, but both kittens were meowing and pawing at their bindings unhappily. The chain that had bound the Hitachiins together was now holding the kittens tied to the windowsill to keep them from running off. Mori and Hunny alike were staring down at them, angry and anxious.

Akatsuki was still safely enclosed in Kaoru's grasp; when Kyouya tried to take her from him, Hikaru stepped in front of both his brother and the kitten protectively, while a vicious glare that Kaoru shot over Hikaru's shoulder became incentive enough for Kyouya to back off.

"Kyouya, I'm not kidding!" Hunny shrieked, too enraged for honorifics. He thrashed helplessly in Mori's strong grip, but to no avail. Mori was refusing to let go, and Hunny was too afraid of hurting his cousin to fight him back. It didn't stop him from continuing to scream at Kyouya. "Let my cat go!"

"Let them both go," Mori put in, lowering Hunny slightly. Renge and Nekozawa were beside each other. The latter seemed to be having a small argument with the wildly gesturing puppet on his hand. Renge was glaring angrily.

"Seriously, Kyouya-kun, there's no reason to tie them like that. Look at the poor things!"

As if to make a point when Kyouya obeyed her command, the toms chewed at the metal chains with weak, milk-white teeth. Tsuki's ears were flat against his skull.

"We're taking them to the pound after the cosplay ends," Kyouya muttered. "None of you are keeping them. It'd take away from club duties."

Kaoru looked hurt, and the expression further enraged Hikaru. "So why keep them tied up?!" he snapped. "They're kittens, they're not going anywhere!"

Kaoru smiled weakly at his brother when their eyes next met. His gaze was loving and full to the brim with adoration and longing. Hikaru felt a knot build in his throat; he turned away, blushing and sulking.

"What kind of sick pleasure do you get from cuffing the adorable pussies to the sill?" Renge complained. Hikaru's eyes widened a bit, and he glanced at Yuhi and Tsuki again, thoughtful. They were pawing at each others' necks, still trying futilely to slip from the handcuffs around their necks. "It's not funny. Look at them! They're so sweet!"

"If I do, what's to stop Hunny from shoving the orange one in his bag?" Kyouya said coolly.

"Mori," Tamaki replied from the floor, staring up listlessly at him while Haruhi sighed beside him.

"Or Kaoru from doing it with his?" Kyouya glared at Kaoru and Akatsuki again and began to advance toward them again. Nervous, Akatsuki dug her claws into Kaoru's arm while he backed away, his costume ears laid back submissively. Hikaru snarled angrily; his own ears flattened in irritation, and he ripped his tail off.

"If you touch either one of them, I'll strangle you with this," he threatened Kyouya. Behind slim glasses, ebony eyes rolled skeptically.

"I won't touch either of your kittens, Hikaru, I promise," he muttered. Both twins blushed and glanced in opposite directions. Renge and Tamaki both chuckled softly; Haruhi leaned her head on Tamaki's shoulder.

"They're too young to be separated," she murmured. "We can't just give them to the pound. Plus, they're already bonded to Kaoru, and Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai."

"And what were they planning on doing with them once they were past that age?" Kyouya said, driving his point home effortlessly.

Kaoru tightened his grip on Akatsuki, heart racing, while Hikaru put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, their bodies pushed against each other as though both were seeking comfort. Hunny stopped flailing and hung limply in Mori's arms. Distracted, Mori lowered him to the ground and crossed his arms while Hunny headed to the other side of the room to gather Usa-chan from the messy bundle of velvet curtains. Once the plush rabbit was retrieved, the senior dropped to the floor, hugging the white bunny and sighing in depression. He began to rub the bleach out of Usa-chan's fur, looking for a distraction.

"How long until they're that age?" Hikaru said softly, speaking into the silence invoked by the others' refusal to bring up the very question. Kyouya didn't reply, but his eyes, along with everyone else's, turned to Mori. He remained silent, looking down unsurely. Tsuki mewled and made him furrow his brows.

"Mori-senpai?" Kyouya pressed. Two identical pairs of amber eyes remained locked on Mori, while Haruhi and Tamaki glanced at each other, nervous. Hunny stared down at his doll again, running his hands over the floppy ears.

"They…already are."

"Takashi!" Hunny exclaimed, his head snapping up. "You said we can't separate them yet! You _said _so!"

"...I lied."

Mori's expression remained stoic, but the others in the room tensed. Haruhi and Renge both glanced at Hunny. His head was lowered to the point of being cast into shadows by his hair. His expression was nearly unreadable, his lashes lowered. After a few moments, irrepressible tears trickled down his cheeks and landed in Usa-chan's fur. He took the opportunity to rub the white out of the pink fuzz with the liquid, his hands shaking.

Tamaki and Nekozawa both turned to the twins, anxious. Kaoru had leaned his head against Hikaru's chest, his breathing erratic and his body trembling. Akatsuki's claws were imbedded in his arm; Hikaru had his arms around Kaoru comfortingly. His chin rested in his brother's hair and his lips moved, forming quiet words of reassurance while Kaoru let out a small whimper. His free hand moved to stroke Akatsuki's ears. As though she sensed the tension in the air, she flattened into the crook of his arm, away from the gentle touch. It took a few more seconds of silence for Hikaru's eyes to travel to Kyouya in a death glare.

_'I'll kill you,'_ he mouthed, moving his supportive arm up to stroke Kaoru's hair. Kyouya's expression didn't change, but he edged away from the seething Hitachiin swiftly.

"He's right," Kaoru whispered finally, attracted Hunny's miserable gaze. Kaoru met his eyes, lifting his head slightly while Hikaru lowered his hand. "Mori can't keep them all, Mom can't afford cat hair all over our house, and Hunny-senpai-"

"Forget it," Hunny sighed. He glanced at Yuhi sadly, and the kitten stretched as far as he could go to get to him.

"We can't separate them," Hikaru said softly; his hand tightened its grip around Kaoru's shoulder, and the latter looked up at his older brother curiously. "It doesn't matter how old they are. They have to stay together."

"Hikaru…"

"My dad doesn't like cats," Haruhi said helplessly, fiddling with the yellow ribbons in her hair.

"And I have a dog…she's an angel, but she'd terrorize the cats," Tamaki added. "Renge?"

"They'd destroy my clothes," she admitted, blushing. "Can't deal with that, despite how sweet the little darlings are."

"I'll do it."

Nekozawa's words were shaky and unsure. When the others' eyes turned to him, he kept his Sharingan eyes on Tsuki, who was struggling so fiercely against L's handcuffs that he was squeaking with every movement. Hikaru followed his gaze and allowed it to rest on Tsuki's neck.

"Neko-chan?" Hunny said optimistically.

"Are you sure?" Kaoru murmured, though he too had an expression of hope in his brightened eyes.

"Kirimi won't be too happy if she discovers them," Nekozawa replied, smiling wryly. "So I'll have to keep them in my room."

"Yay for feline night-vision," Tamaki whispered into Haruhi's ear. She and the twins chuckled, and Nekozawa cast them a warning glare.

"Kirimi might be growing out of her fear of cats, and kittens would probably scare her less. I might be able to use the three to get the fear out of her."

"And if you can't?" the twins inquired. Nekozawa smiled at them.

"She never goes into my room anyway."

"Great," Tamaki said brightly, grinning at a relieved Hunny. A moment later, his smile vanished completely. "So can we get the cuffs off of the kittens' necks now, please?"

"I got it," Hikaru said, grabbing the key from Kyouya and working at the cuffs. Kaoru reluctantly handed Akatsuki to Nekozawa. Belzenev rubbed her chin gently.

"Megalomaniac," Renge muttered, eyes on Kyouya again. Hunny and Mori exchanged significant glances of irony and then looked away, grinning.

Kaoru ran a hand through darkened hair, rubbing back his fuzzy black ears. His eyes were depressed and his tail swished lazily behind him.

"Are we ever gonna be able to see them again?"

"No," Kyouya butted in. He looked murderous; Kaoru's eyes narrowed angrily.

"_Nekozawa-senpai?"_

"There are some days when the Black Magic Club doesn't meet," Umehito replied, watching a freed Yuhi rush over to play with Belzenev. The puppet scratched him behind the ears while Kyouya watched sullenly. "Maybe twice a month. I stay after anyway, so I'll bring them on those days."

"WAAAAAAI!" Hunny shrieked gleefully, leaping from the ground into the air in one fluid motion. Mori and Kaoru adopted similar smiles of delight while Hikaru approached his brother and rested a hand on his shoulder, his left ear perking up in amusement.

"Good enough for you, Kyouya?" Tamaki challenged coolly, raising an eyebrow. Kyouya seemed to snap out of a homicidal train of thought and shot Tamaki a confused look. After a moment in which several pairs of eyes regarded him silently, he bowed his head, pushing his glasses up higher on his nose.

"Fine," he muttered. Haruhi and Renge cheered. Tamaki smiled at his classmate, brushing brown hair from his equally discolored eyes, while Hunny leapt at Mori and hugged him around the legs. Kyouya took his glasses off and started rubbing the make-up from under his eyes.

Kaoru raised a hand to his cat ears and playing with the left with his fingers. Hikaru smiled at him thoughtfully, then glanced at Tamaki, who had his head bowed and his fingers in his eyes.

"So. Party over?"

Haruhi was already pulling ribbons from her hair, while Mori helped Hunny wipe the dye out of Usa-chan's fur. Tamaki looked up, one eye purple and another reddish-brown. He had a contact resting on his index finger.

"Yeah, we're gonna start heading home soon. See you guys Monday."

Akatsuki pawed at Kaoru's tail, and he raised it, glancing down at her. She mewed at him and he reached down to pet the top of her head. Hikaru grabbed his arm gently.

"C'mon, Kaoru. Let's go home now. I'll help you take off your ears."

"Alright," Kaoru said, meeting his twin's eyes. Both of their expressions were unreadable. A little while after they left, Renge turned her gaze down to where Yuhi and Belzenev were playing.

"Did that last statement strike anyone else as suggestive?"

Tamaki lifted his head from removing his other contact lens and opened his mouth to reply when Kyouya interrupted from his spot near the windowsill.

"What happened to my handcuffs?"

* * *

If you don't understand Renge's last remark, look up "Loveless" and research the thing about the cat ears. :P


	16. Epilogue: Symmetrical Secrets

...you guys all know this is the only reason you even STARTED this story, right? :P You'd better review this.

Warning: Explicit sexual content and some profanity. Because profanity is equally as bad as hot, sweaty, male x male twincest.

* * *

**Epilogue: Symmetrical Secrets**

Kaoru's ears were laid back as a clear indicator of his irritation. Grumbling, he plucked Akatsuki's orange fur from his black shirt, the tip of his tail flicking. Then, with a defeated sigh, he pulled his shirt over his head and took off his ears and tail. As he opened his dresser to drop the costume into storage, a gentle knock at his door made him turn his head.

"Kaoru. Can I come in?"

The tone made Kaoru anxious; he wasn't quite sure what emotion made his brother so breathless, his voice so shaky.

"Yeah, of course. It's unlocked."

He turned his back to the door and began to organize his drawer meticulously; when the door creaked open, he greeted his brother without turning to meet his eyes. There was no verbal response, but just as Kaoru began to close his drawer, warm arms wrapped around his bare torso. His breath caught in his throat. Surprised, he turned his head slightly, but stopped when soft, wet lips pressed against his neck. Hot breath coated his throat with moisture. Hikaru kissed Kaoru's neck gently; the latter's eyes widened, off-guard, but not displeased.

"Hikaru?"

The owner of the spoken name rested his chin on Kaoru's shoulder, nuzzling his jawline. A soft black ear fluttered against his cheek.

"You lost your ears without me, hm?"

Kaoru felt his cheeks grow warm. "Not in the regard you're implying." He gently took hold of the ear fluttering against his cheek and moved the switch behind it before sliding the band out of Hikaru's hair. He opened his drawer again and placed the newly dropped ears beside his. Hikaru squeezed his brother around the middle; Kaoru gasped.

"Ow, Hikaru. What are you-"

In a swift motion, Hikaru's lips captured his, cutting him off. Hikaru's eyes were closed, his expression peaceful. That alone made Kaoru melt into his brother's touch, hiding his own butterscotch eyes behind modestly lowered lids. Despite how warm he was, he began to tremble again, and when Hikaru bit his lower lip, Kaoru found himself parting his lips before even thinking to do it. Hikaru's tongue snuck in without a moment of hesitation, and Kaoru's eyes snapped open from the unexpected intrusion. As though Hikaru could sense the discomfort, he too opened his eyes, and pulled away a moment later. He had an odd smirk on his face.

"Scared you."

Kaoru stepped away from his brother, slightly hurt. "Are you just toying with me?"

That wiped the smug look from Hikaru's face; his eyes reflected his twin's pain instantly. "Is that a joke? Of course not, Kao-chan, what do you take me for?"

Kaoru lowered his gaze slightly, looking up at Hikaru from beneath shy lashes. "Too perfect to be real," he admitted softly. Hikaru stepped on the tips of Kaoru's shoes and kissed his forehead; Kaoru lifted his feet free from his shoes and met Hikaru's eyes again while the latter removed his effortlessly.

"I'm real enough to have fallen for you," he murmured, brushing Kaoru's bangs from his eyes lovingly. When Kaoru blushed, Hikaru held his chin gently and raised Kaoru's face so their eyes met, the exact same faces with completely different expressions.

"What are we doing?" Kaoru whispered.

"What do you want to do?" Hikaru's smile was angelic; Kaoru felt more confident, and pressed his lips against his brother's. Hikaru was too taken aback to resist when Kaoru's lips pried his apart. Their tongues battled for dominance. Kaoru's eyes opened again, an almost evil look flitting across his eyes. Challenged, Hikaru's eyes narrowed and he pushed Kaoru down onto the bed behind them. That in itself was a horrible miscalculation. They landed heavily, their cries of pain breaking the kiss after making them choke on their tongues. Kaoru burst into laughter while Hikaru propped himself up, one arm on either side of his brother's neck and staring down thoughtfully.

"Sorry."

"You idiot," Kaoru snickered in response. His laugh was cut short with a startled yelp as Hikaru lunged at his throat, biting and licking gently. Kaoru chuckled softly, murmuring.

"It tickles, Hikaru, stop it."

Hikaru didn't. He brought his tongue up and over his brother's jawline, while his hand traveled to the more sensitive parts of Kaoru's chest. The remnants of the smugness in Kaoru's eyes vanished as Hikaru's fingers toyed with him; he moaned softly, and Hikaru kissed him again, not closing his eyes. Kaoru broke the kiss and made Hikaru emit a sound of impatience.

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Kaoru groused.

Hikaru's stunned look faded into one of offense as Kaoru suddenly rolled over so he was on top. He sat, straddling a glaring Hikaru, and unbuttoned his shirt. "We're twins. We need to be on even terms. Hikaru squirmed beneath him, but to little avail; they were of equal strength, and Kaoru was determined to work slow. Hikaru let out a sound that seemed to Kaoru like a mix between a groan and a snarl. It made him snicker.

"Patience, patience…"

He kissed the elder Hitachiin's chest and ignored it when he tried to throw him off. Hikaru's complains were punctuated by the moans and whimpers he couldn't help but release as Kaoru nipped at him skillfully. When Kaoru's mouth took over a hardened nipple, Hikaru threw his head back, gasping.

"This…isn't right, Kaoru!" He shoved him off again and pinned him down, his hands on Kaoru's shoulders. Kaoru looked needy, but triumphant. His lips were wet. Hikaru discarded his original plans for berating him and simply attacked his lips again, forcing his tongue into his brother's mouth and toying with Kaoru's nipple with his right hand until the victorious gleam in the topaz eyes faded into submissive desire. They both moaned; Hikaru's hand snuck down to Kaoru's beltline, causing his eyes to open. He struggled free from Hikaru's mouth, ignoring the insistent and frustrated moans the action caused.

"What gives you the authority to go first?" he snapped.

"I'm seme," was the husky reply. Kaoru's defiance faded quickly; Hikaru removed his belt effortlessly and slid his pants and boxers off without a moment of hesitation. Kaoru growled at the lack of an answer, despite the hand probing him. He lunged, tackling Hikaru and pinning his arms down. Hikaru raised an eyebrow at his little brother, who hovered over him, panting and glaring, but still hard.

"What're you going to do now? In case you haven't noticed…" He nodded at their arm. "Now your arms are useless too."

As a response, Kaoru moved his brother's arms over his head and pinned them there by the wrists with his left hand. Hikaru began to struggle immediately, but Kaoru's free hand was already working at the belt. When he'd finally gotten the last of Hikaru's bindings off and discarded them onto the floor beside the bed, he laid down on top of his enraged elder and continued sucking at his chest and neck. Hikaru growled and continued to struggle, moving his arms in an attempt to get Kaoru's hand away from his wrists.

"You…are…uke!" he hissed. "You can't _do_ this!"

"We're twins," Kaoru reminded him, smiling seductively. "I see no reason you should be on top all the time."

In the same moment that realization lit his eyes and his smile faded into a contemplative frown, Hikaru got free and rolled on top again, glaring playfully. "What? _Now_ you're upset?"

"Are…we really gonna do this?"

Hikaru leaned over to nuzzle his neck. He nipped at Kaoru's earlobe, drawing another moan from breathless lips, and ran his tongue along the shell of the ear while his hand slid down to Kaoru's erection. When the body beneath him shivered involuntarily, Hikaru put his lips directly to his brother's ear.

"Do you really want to?" he said, kissing Kaoru's ear with every syllable. His hand wrapped around Kaoru's length and made the younger twin bite his lip with anticipation, clamping his eyes shut despite the never-ending desire to stare at his beautiful lover.

"Yes," he breathed lustily. Satisfied, Hikaru smirked. He nibbled at Kaoru's ears, but drew away, gasping in surprise, when Kaoru suddenly retaliated by expertly rubbing the tip of his member with a gentle thumb. Kaoru took advantage of the opportunity to get on top again; Hikaru almost screamed with rage, but it came out as a strangled yelp that embarrassed him and only succeeded in further arousing Kaoru.

"Doesn't mean you're getting off that easily, niichan," he said. Hikaru didn't have much time to fight him for dominance. Kaoru's left hand laced fingers with his right, and that he had no problem with. The problem was Kaoru's other hand as it traced the vein spiraling down Hikaru's erection. Kaoru lowered his head and examined it for a moment. Then, completely ignoring his brother's protests, he took the length of it in his mouth; Hikaru's head flew back against his pillow and he let out a strangled snarl. Kaoru smiled, licking quietly. His tongue worked over Hikaru's slitted opening and a hand stroked his dyed hair weakly, clumsy and shaking.

"Ka…oru," Hikaru gasped, looking down at him. "That's not…you're not supposed to be…"

Kaoru knew better. He bowed his head and fully took his brother into his mouth, ignoring Hikaru's cries and refusing to stop even when the hand in his hair clenched into a fist. When Kaoru winced in pain, Hikaru gasped and released. Kaoru pulled away, swallowing without a show, and meeting the eyes of the so-called "seme" with a second look of triumph. Hikaru failed miserably at trying to look critical and bit his lower lip, glaring, in an attempt to keep from whimpering like the uke he swore he wasn't. Never.

"When the hell…did you learn to do that…Kaoru?"

Kaoru smiled, an expression too innocent. '_TOO damn innocent,'_ Hikaru decided with a scowl, '_to be seme. Absolutely not.'_

"I read, Hikaru," he replied, his voice as seductive as his eyes. He ran his fingers along Hikaru's length and then once more over his nipples, staring directly into identical amber eyes. "I read a _lot_."

Hikaru growled predatorily and gripped Kaoru's shoulders again. This time, when he straddled him and sat on his chest, Kaoru averted his gaze as though bored.

"Are we just gonna keep rolling around like animals, or are we going to actually have fun?"

Hikaru grinned wickedly. "I'm having fun already, Kaoru. And no more playing seme. It's not your thing."

Kaoru narrowed his eyes as though angry, but the innocent desire burning behind the golden eyes gave away his true feelings. Hikaru drew him into another kiss, grinding against him gently, and Kaoru whimpered into his mouth.

_'Patience, patience, he says. Well, who's the impatient one now, little brother?'_

Hikaru loved every reaction he caused Kaoru to make; every time he rubbed against him, a cry caught in the uke's throat, and the finger massaging his chest made it come up as a strangled little noise that could only escape so far as Hikaru's own mouth. The initial skirmish was almost over, but Kaoru still struggled occasionally. Despite the fact that his lips were still locked in a fierce battle, Hikaru frowned, opening his eyes thoughtfully. He examined Kaoru's face, then moved a hand into his black hair, removing his lips from Kaoru's. Kaoru opened his eyes reluctantly, panting.

"H-Hikaru? What is it?"

"…I don't think I like you with black hair," he murmured. Kaoru's eyes widened; Hikaru glanced down and was immediately filled with regret.

"What?"

"I mean, you're still gorgeous…but it's just unnatural on you." Hikaru smiled confidently as Kaoru's expression changed to betray every bit of his adoration and lust. "You're more beautiful without the bull-shit."

"So are you," Kaoru whispered back, his tone soft. Hikaru drew back in surprise, removing his hand from his little brother's hair. Kaoru's eyes brightened knowingly. "You're shy."

"I…I'm not…" Hikaru couldn't say it. Scowling, he fell into silent contemplation. Kaoru took this for a loss of words.

"Doesn't this mean you're uke after all?"

Hikaru glanced back down. Kaoru's smile was all-knowing, and his eyes were all-seeing. But he was too innocent. Hikaru kissed him fiercely again, just to avoid that angelic gaze. Too…fucking…Hikaru felt his blood boil. Screw patience. Screw righteousness. And screw…Kaoru.

_'Perfect solution…'_

Hikaru pinned Kaoru's wrists over his head with on hand, pulling away with an evil expression, and immediately achieved a result he wanted. Kaoru's eyes reflected his displeasure at Hikaru's backing off. A hand extended to the discarded pants on the floor and extracted something from the pockets, and when Hikaru pulled it back up, Kaoru's eyes shot open, several emotions evident within them.

"You pervert…you stole Kyouya's handcuffs?"

Hikaru smiled almost darkly, the thrill of victory in his eyes. "Doesn't that seem to be the case?"

The motion startled Kaoru, who was still rather shocked from the initial discovery. In what seemed like a split second, Hikaru had his hands cuffed to the headboard. A playfully sinister smile toyed with Hikaru's mouth as Kaoru moved his arms, a weak attempt at getting free. When he saw it would be useless to continue fighting, he turned to meet his brother's eyes, his expression naïve.

"Hikaru?"

"Oh, don't play coy with me," Hikaru hummed gently, leaning down to kiss at Kaoru's collarbone. Kaoru's hands balled into fists. "We both know that innocence is an act. Let's bring out the Hitachiin beast in you."

He nuzzled Kaoru's neck gently, kissing and biting, while Kaoru purred, closing his eyes and relaxing again. His thoughts were no longer spiraling; his mind had fallen into numbness, the few thoughts left lingering as a dull drone. Hikaru kissed him eagerly again, and pulled away far too soon. Kaoru arched his body up, trying to follow the escaping lips and tongue, but was stopped by the chains. A mischievous light flickered behind Hikaru's golden eyes. Kaoru fought uselessly against his bindings, a soft grunt passing through his lips as he glanced up at them; blood trickled down his arms from where the metal cut into him. Hikaru followed the stream with his tongue and lapped it away gently while Kaoru fell silent, sulking from his imprisonment.

Hikaru dragged his tongue down to where Kaoru was most uncomfortable, but without the formalities Kaoru had been thoughtful enough to provide. His mouth captured Kaoru's manhood, his tongue traveling over the head while orange eyes remained locked on the boy who was struggling again. Kaoru's teeth were gritted, and he pulled against the cuffs vainly. His lack of noise, however, drove Hikaru's already sex-crazed mind to the point of complete insanity. He pulled his mouth from around Kaoru's member and took a moment to regain his breath before glaring at him.

"What's with the silence?"

"I have my own…ways of torturing you, Niichan…"

His voice was as breathless as it was lustful, but Kaoru's eyes were still exultant. His arrogant smirk made Hikaru's entire body shiver with desire; his eyes latched onto the chafed skin on Kaoru's wrists where the cuffs had agitated him. Hikaru sat up slowly, his mind working at the next solution; in a flash of movement, he'd unlocked Kaoru and then seized him again, pinning his arms to his sides and hugging him around the chest.

"Nani kore, Hikaru?!" Kaoru hissed at him, tossing his head to the side to glare at him. Hikaru replied with a wicked grin. Kaoru bit back a growl; Hikaru's hands moved Kaoru's arms until the wrists touched together in front of him. A small convulsion of pain shot through Kaoru's body and made him let out an unhappy sound. Hikaru nibbled his ear gently and shackled him against the bars on the headboard again. Kaoru snarled viciously, turning to shoot a death glare at his brother, who merely smiled and waved, still smirking. Kaoru's arms jerked at the chains, but then he yelped in pain, closing his eyes tightly, his expression changing to one of displeasure. He propped himself up on his elbows and knees, and, breathing heavily, peered out of his left eye at his bleeding wrists.

Hikaru crawled to his side quietly, gripping his chin and forcing Kaoru's gaze onto his. When Kaoru opened his other eye, Hikaru glanced down at his hand and gently ran his fingers over the gashes in his normally flawless skin. Kaoru winced and bit back a whimper. Hikaru chuckled lowly.

"Sadistic bastard," Kaoru whispered. Hikaru smiled at him, the expression pure. His lips pressed to the soft spot between Kaoru's eyebrows, and he lowered his head a moment later, staring into identical eyes while their foreheads pressed into each other for support.

"I'll be kind. I promise."

Kaoru's eyes widened while Hikaru pulled back. His heart pounded like a native drum in his chest, and his arms spasmed from the small flow of blood tickling them. A clicking sound from behind him made his breath catch in his throat. His ears buzzed with a quiet word spoken by Hikaru, one he didn't catch, but he didn't push the matter; he gasped, pressing forward involuntarily, as something cold slipped into him.

"I have to prep you, darling," Hikaru muttered softly, his tone almost saintly. His finger moved around inside of him, awkward and out of place. Kaoru calmed down, his heart's pounding the only thing distracting him from hanging onto every word. He was almost afraid of how gentle his brother would truly be, but at the same time…

"Hikaru, please…I need you," he said softly. He didn't need to turn to see the look of shock flitting across Hikaru's face. He could sense it. "I need you now. Don't hesitate, but...try to be…."

He trailed off. The words put him to shame, but also relieved him. Hikaru put his left hand on Kaoru's lower back and drew it back slowly, comfortingly, while moving his finger out of Kaoru fully.

"Got it."

Kaoru waited, more impatient than he appeared to the elder Hitachiin, who was internally screaming, driven insane by sexual desire. Hikaru applied more lubricant to his index and middle finger before inserting both into Kaoru, who arched away anxiously, ignoring the pain in his wrists for the one behind him. Hikaru's breathing was ragged and uneven, impatience fully taking him. He added a third finger, making Kaoru slink lower, whimpering despite himself. Hikaru's hand scissored and stretched, spreading the oil inside of Kaoru while making both of their hearts race. Kaoru drew himself up again.

"Hikaru…"

"I know," Hikaru's voice was soothing, despite his urge to snap, and it silenced Kaoru immediately, making him turn his gaze unsurely to the cuffs. He ached to lick the blood off, and his elbows hurt him. Hikaru pulled his hand away and positioned himself, suddenly nervous.

"Kaoru, are you-"

"Go."

Hikaru almost jumped from the direct retort. He pushed in very slowly, his hand clenched around either side of Kaoru so tightly he was sure he'd bruise him. Kaoru bowed his head, concentrating on keeping silent, even as tears of pain gathered in his eyes. By the time Hikaru was completely in, a few had escaped and fallen onto the sheets below him, where they splashed against the stains of blood around his elbows. Hikaru hesitated again, ignoring his desires to take Kaoru mercilessly, and moved carefully to further get Kaoru used to the intrusion.

"…Kao-chan?"

"I'm…okay," he lied, glancing back. When Hikaru met his eyes, he cursed internally at the bad move; naturally, Hikaru could tell what the honest response was. He rose slightly and hugged his little brother around the waist, resting his cheek against his trembling back.

"Go," Kaoru told him again. "Or else."

He bucked his body to get Hikaru off his back and into the prior position. Shocked at the threat, Hikaru laughed.

"Are you really in a position to compromise?"

Kaoru's smirk was half-concealed, and Hikaru could only see one mischievously twinkling eye. Still, Kaoru's voice made him shudder with a new wave of desire.

"Are you really in a position to _want_ to compromise?"

Hikaru scowled at the sarcastic wit. Without further prompting, he began to move slowly, pulling completely out, before pushing all the way back in. Kaoru took a shaky breath, shocked at the sudden waves of pleasure running through him. Hikaru brushed over a sensitive spot, and the younger twin bowed his head, purring involuntarily.

As their breathing escalated, so did their movement; Kaoru moaned softly, closing his eyes tightly, as Hikaru moved a hand to wrap around his length and pump in time to the thrusts. His other hand tightened around Kaoru's left hip, nailed digging in to create crescent-shaped marks, more imperfections in the soft flesh.

"Hikaru, come on," Kaoru gasped, glancing back at him. "You won't break me...go ahead."

The truth was, Hikaru would've liked nothing better than to break him. Still, he succumbed to his brother's wishes, and his body's. His thrusts grew harder, faster, and Kaoru bit back a scream that came out as a muffled moan.

"Hi…Hika…"

Hikaru's mind buzzed suddenly, making him groan in frustration.

"K-Kaoru," he managed warningly.

"I know," was the reply Kaoru panted back.

Courageously, and despite the exhaustion weighing him down, Kaoru thrashed against his bonds, the new bearing of agony pulsing through his arms almost a dull throb under the waves of pleasure washing over him. A cry ripped from his throat, raw and purely instinctual. Hikaru groaned softly, releasing at the same moment that Kaoru came over his hand.

"Damn it," Hikaru swore, his lids half-closing as he pulled out. His body trembling from fatigue, Kaoru collapsed with a last exhausted sigh. He opened his eyes faintly, dimly aware of the blood still streaming down his arms and of the sharp pain in his wrists. Hikaru finally took mercy on him and unlocked the handcuffs, discarding them carelessly on the ground beside the bed.

Tired, the elder Hitachiin laid down beside Kaoru, pulling down his right arm and licking at the open wounds lovingly.

"I can't believe this," Kaoru managed weakly, his voice hoarse. "We're twins."

"Really, now?" Hikaru said huskily. "You seem to be covered in a lot more bruises and cuts than me right now."

"Pervert," Kaoru muttered. Still, he pushed his body forward to take Hikaru's lips into a kiss. When they broke it, Kaoru closed his eyes and moved one trembling hand under his cheek tiredly. Hikaru began to nurse the left wrist tenderly.

"I love you, Kaoru," he whispered, the tone almost shy. Kaoru forced his eyes half-open.

"I love you too."

When Hikaru's mouth had successfully removed the excess blood from Kaoru's left arm, he sighed and moved up closer to the pillow, pulling the blanket with him. He draped it over Kaoru and snuggled closer to him, reluctant to close his eyes and lose sight of the beautiful face before him.

"Hey, Kaoru," he said sleepily. Kaoru didn't open his eyes.

"Mm?"

Hikaru sighed and closed his eyes, resting his chin in Kaoru's hair and breathing out softly while the younger twin nuzzled his chest.

"You think Kyouya-senpai wants his handcuffs back?"

**_-End-_**

* * *

If he doesn't, I do. o.0 Or maybe they can sell them to the customers. If they pay so much for Haruhi's pencil...heehee...

End of story. Thanks for staying with me. :3 I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS. If you haven't reviewed at any other point in this story, please review here, at least, to remark about the story itself or the yaoi. I always need feedback on my yaoi. XD


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